Paedagogicus

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Relating to the art or science of teaching, particularly concerning educational methods and theories
2. Pertaining to the principles and practice of education, especially in the context of teaching and learning
3. Connected with the instructional processes and strategies employed in educational environments

Etymology: "Paedagogicus" is the Latin adjective from which English "pedagogic" derives, and it is built from Greek roots: "paidagogos", a compound of "pais" (child) and "agogos" (leader, from "agein", to lead). The "paidagogos" was not a teacher at all. In ancient Greece it was a household slave who escorted a boy to school, carried his books and supervised his conduct, and the title carried no implication of instruction in lessons. The Latin "paedagogus" took over the Greek word, and the Roman sense shifted toward the teacher himself, which is the meaning that survived into English. "Paedagogicus" is the Latinised adjectival form, meaning "relating to a teacher" or "pertaining to teaching." English took the adjective as "pedagogic" in the 1600s, and it later gave rise to "pedagogy" and "pedagogue," the last of which took on a faintly pompous or mocking tone, as if the teacher were more concerned with rules than with learning.

Synonyms: pedagogic, educational, instructional

Antonyms: noneducational, uneducational