pl. [ad. L. analecta, a. Gr. ἀνάλεκτα things gathered or picked up, f. ἀναλέγ-ειν, f. ἀνά up + λέγ-ειν to gather, pick up. Often used in L. form when applied to extracts from the classical authors.]
† 1. Crumbs that fall from the table; pickings up, gleanings. Obs.
1623. Cockeram, Analects, crums which fall from the table.
a. 1643. Cartwright, Ordinary, III. v. in Hazl., Dodsley, XII. 269. No gleanings, James? No trencher-analects?
1721. Bailey, Analects, Analecta, fragments gathered from Tables.
2. Literary gleanings; collections of fragments or extracts. (Usually as a title.)
1658. Phillips, Analects,… is taken for Collections or Scraps out of Authors.
1770. G. Carey (title), Analects in Verse and Prose.
1843. Liddell & Scott, Gr. Lex., Pref. xi. Antipater Sidonius: in Brunck’s Analecta.
1861. Sat. Rev., 30 Nov., 563/2. Giving a few of the sage’s sayings, selected from thousands that are to be found in the Confucian Analects.
