Pali canon See Tripitaka
Pali \'pa-le\ language Middle Indo-Aryan language of the 5th century bc in which the most essential documents of Theravada Buddhism are written. Linguistically, Pali is a homogenization of the northern Middle Indo-Aryan dialects in which the Buddha’s teachings were orally recorded and transmitted. According to the tradition of Sri Lankan chronicles, the Theravada canon was first written down in the 1st century bc, though its oral transmission continued long afterward. No single script was ever developed for Pali; scribes used scripts of their own languages to copy canonical texts and commentaries (see Indic writing systems), and most extant palm-leaf manuscripts of Pali are of relatively recent date.
Palikir \,pa-le- , kir\ Capital (pop., 2000: 6,227) of the Federated States of Micronesia. It is located inland on the island of Pohnpei (or Ponape; pop., 2000: 34,486). Nearby is the coastal city of Kolonia (pop., 2000: 5,681), the island’s other large town.
Palissy\pa-le-'se\, Bernard (b. 1509, St. Avit, France—d. 1590, Paris) French potter and writer. Known for his decorated rustic ware, a type of earthenware covered with coloured lead glazes, he was appointed “inven¬ tor of rustic pottery to the king and the queen mother” in 1565. His pub¬ lic lectures on natural history, published in 1580, revealed him to be a writer and scientist and a pioneer of the scientific method. A Huguenot, he was imprisoned in 1588 in the Bastille, where he died.
Palladio \pa-'lad-yo\, Andrea orig. Andrea di Pietro della Gondola (b. Nov. 30, 1508, Padua, Republic of Venice—d. August 1580, Vicenza) Italian architect. While a young mason, he was noticed by an Italian scholar and soon found himself studying mathematics, music, philosophy, and Classical authors. From 1541 he made several trips to Rome to study ancient ruins. His first palace design, the Palazzo Civena (1540^46), was innovative for its use of an arcaded area behind the main
elevation, in imitation of a Roman forum. In his villas, Palladio tried to re-create the Roman villa based on ancient descriptions. His first, Villa Godi at Lonedo (c. 1540^-2), contained elements for which he is famous, including symmetrical wings and a walled court. His most widely copied villa was the Villa Rotonda (1550-51), near Vicenza. Palladio was the first to systematize the plan of a house and to use the ancient Greco- Roman temple front as a portico. His reconstruction of the Basilica (town hall) in Vicenza (begun 1549) employs a two-story arcade with a motif that came to be known as Palladian: rounded arches flanked by rectan¬ gular openings. His facades for San Francesco della Vigna (c. 1565), San Giorgio Maggiore (begun 1566), and II Redentore (begun 1576), all in Venice, became prototypes for attaching Classical temple fronts to basil¬ ican churches. Though Palladio absorbed contemporary Mannerist motifs, his plans and elevations always retained a repose and order not associ¬ ated with Mannerist architecture. His Four Books of Architecture was possibly the most influential architectural pattern book ever printed. His influence climaxed during the 18th-century Classical Revival; the result¬ ing Palladianism spread through Europe and the U.S.
palladium Metallic chemical element, one of the transition elements, chemical symbol Pd, atomic number 46. A precious, silver-white metal that resembles platinum chemically, it is extremely ductile and easily worked and can be beaten into thin leaf. It is an excellent catalyst for chemical reactions involving hydrogen and oxygen, such as the hydroge¬ nation of unsaturated organic compounds. Because it does not tarnish in air at ordinary temperatures, palladium and its alloys serve as substitutes for platinum in jewelry and in electrical contacts in telecommunications equipment. Small amounts of palladium alloyed with gold yield the best white gold. Palladium is used also in dental alloys. Because hydrogen passes rapidly through the metal at high temperatures, heated palladium tubes impervious to other gases function as semipermeable membranes and are used for hydrogen purification.
palm Any of about 2,800 species of flowering, subtropical trees, shrubs, and vines that make up the family Arecaceae (or Palmae). Many are economically important. Palms fur¬ nish food, shelter, clothing, timber, fuel, building materials, fibres, starch, oils, waxes, and wines for local populations in the tropics.
Many species have very limited ranges; some grow only on single islands. The fast growth and many by-products of palms make exploita¬ tion of the rainforest appealing to agribusiness. The usually tall, unbranched, columnar trunk is crowned by a tuft of large, pleated, fan- or feather-shaped leaves, with often prickly petioles (leafstalks), the bases of which remain after leaves drop, often covering the trunk. Trunk height and diameter, leaf length, and seed size vary greatly. Small flowers are produced in large clusters.
Among the most important palms are the sugar palm ( Arenga pinnata, or A. saccharifera), coconut palm, date palm, and cabbage palmetto.
palm PC Computer small enough to fit in a person’s palm. Palm PCs (also called palmtops, handheld computers, or personal data assistants) typically use pens instead of keyboards for data input. They have limited memory and lack built-in peripheral devices (e.g., disk drives and modems), though such devices can be plugged in through peripheral slots. They run a limited set of application programs, such as calendars, address books, and memo pads.
Palm Springs Resort city (pop., 2000: 42,807), southern California, U.S. It is located in the Coachella Valley. Originally known as Agua Cal- iente for its hot springs, it was a stagecoach stop by 1872. In 1884 John G. McCallum established the Palm Valley Colony there. Incorporated as a city in 1938, it developed into a glamorous desert resort and residential area, frequented by celebrities, including Hollywood stars. Nearby is Joshua Tree National Park.
© 2006 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
1438 I Palm Sunday ► Pamirs
Palm Sunday or Passion Sunday In Christianity, the first day of Holy Week and the Sunday before Easter, commemorating Jesus’ trium¬ phal entry into Jerusalem. It usually includes a procession of members of the congregation carrying palms, representing the palm branches the crowd scattered in front of Jesus as he rode into the city. The liturgy also includes readings recounting the suffering and death of Jesus. Palm Sun¬ day was celebrated in Jerusalem as early as the 4th century and in the West by the 8th century.
Palma (de Mallorca) City (pop., 2001: 333,801), capital of the Bale¬ aric Islands and of Majorca island, Spain. Palma lies on the southwestern coast of Majorca on Palma Bay in the western Mediterranean Sea. Romans conquered Majorca in 123 bc, and it was later ruled by Byzan¬ tines and Arabs before being taken by James I of Aragon in 1229. The city’s old sections have many notable homes built in the 16th and 18th centuries. Historic buildings include the Gothic cathedral and Bellver Castle. The economy is varied and includes tourism and light manufac¬ turing.
Palma, Arturo Alessandri See Arturo Alessandri Palma Palmas, Las See Las Palmas
Palme Vpal-moV (Sven) Olof (Joachim) (b. Jan. 30, 1927, Stock¬ holm, Swed.—d. Feb. 28, 1986, Stockholm) Swedish prime minister (1969-76, 1982-86). After studying in Sweden and the U.S., he was elected to the Swedish parliament (1958) and became a leader of the Swedish Social Democratic Workers’ Party. He served in ministerial posts from 1963 and became prime minister in 1969. A strong pacifist, he attacked U.S. policy in the Vietnam War and later acted as a UN special envoy to mediate in the Iran-Iraq War. After his reelection in 1982, he tried to reinstate socialist economic policies in Sweden. He was shot to death by an assassin in 1986; his murder remains unsolved.