Gradus

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Gradus, or Gradus ad Parnassum ("steps to Parnassus"), is a Latin (or Greek) dictionary, in which the quantities of the vowels of the words are marked.

Synonyms, epithets and poetical expressions and extracts are also included under the more important headings, the whole being intended as an aid for students in Greek and Latin verse composition.

The first Latin gradus was compiled in 1702 by the Jesuit Paul Aler (1656-1727), a famous schoolmaster. There is a Latin gradus by CD Yonge (1850); English-Latin by AC Ainger and HG Wintle (1890); Greek by J Brasse (1828) and E Maltby (1815), bishop of Durham.

Gradus ad Parnassum is also the name of a seminal textbook on counterpoint written by Johann Joseph Fux in 1725, but used well into the 20th century in music instruction.

Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum is a satirical piano composition by Claude Debussy in his suite, Children's Corner, poking fun at Muzio Clementi's book of instructional piano pieces, Gradus ad Parnassum.

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This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.