Georgics
/ˈdʒɔːr.dʒɪks/noun
A didactic poem or poems about agriculture, especially Virgil’s four-book work on farming and rural life.
Did you know?Virgil’s Georgics combines practical farming advice with omens, sacrifice, mythology, and the mythic restoration of nature after catastrophe.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*werǵ-
“To do, work, or make; the ancient root behind the idea of purposeful labor.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
γῆ (gē)
“Earth or land.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
ἔργον (ergon)
“Work, deed, task, or productive activity.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
γεωργός (geōrgos)
“A farmer or cultivator; literally an earth-worker.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
γεωργικός (geōrgikos)
“Relating to farming or agriculture.”
1st Century BCE
Latin
Georgica
“Virgil’s title for his four-book didactic poem on agriculture, rural labor, and the forces shaping nature.”
Modern English
English
Georgics
“Agricultural poems or writings, especially Virgil’s Georgics.”