Periegesis

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˌpɛ.ɹɪ.əˈd͡ʒiː.sɪs/

Definitions

1. a detailed description or guided tour through a place, especially in ancient times
2. an ancient literary work or oral account providing a thorough tour or description of a region
3. a systematic narrative account or tour describing the features and notable aspects of a geographical area

Etymology: In ancient Greek, "periegesis" meant the act of being shown around, as by a guide, and the word was most often used in the titles of works that took readers on a tour of a region. It is built from "peri-", meaning "around", and "hegesis", meaning "leading" or "command", which itself comes from the verb "hegeomai", "to lead". The verb behind the whole word, "periegeisthai", literally meant "to lead around", so the idea of a guided circuit is written into its parts. The word passed into Late Latin and then into English in its Greek-derived form, and it kept its sense of a systematic, detailed description of a place rather than a casual travel remark. Its close relative in modern Greek, "periigisi", still means a tour or sightseeing trip, so the same root has stayed attached to the idea of showing someone around from antiquity to the present.