paraphernalia

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˌpæɹəfəˈneɪli.ə/ (UK); /ˌpɛɹəfɚˈneɪli.ə/, /ˌpɛɹəfəˈneɪli.ə/ (US)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Medieval Latin paraphernalia,^{[2][3][4][5][6]} neuter plural of paraphernālis,^[2][3][4] from Late Latin parapherna (“a bride's property beyond her dowry”),^[2][3][4][6] from Ancient Greek παράφερνα (parápherna),^{[2][3][4][5][6]} from Ancient Greek παρα- (para-, “beside, beyond”) + φερνή (phernḗ, “dowry”),^{[2][3][4][5][6]} which is related to phérein “to carry”.^[3][4][5][6] It is related to bear.^[5][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

(law) The personal property a married woman may keep for herself, apart from her dowry (1478–9 in the OED, 1651 in Barnhart and Merriam-Webster).^[7][3][5]

Semantic evolution

From a wife's personal belongings the word passed to personal belongings in general, especially articles of dress or adornment,^[7][2][5] and to the equipment or trappings used for an activity (1736 in the OED and Etymonline, 1791 in Barnhart).^[7][4][3] Etymonline traces this sense to the notion of “odds and ends”.^[4] Though plural in form, it has been used as a collective singular since 1788.^[7][5]

Timeline

• 1478–9 – (law) a wife's property apart from her dowry.^[7][6]
• 1736 – personal belongings; equipment.^[7][4]
• 1788 – used as a singular.^[7]

Modern meaning

Noun

1. The articles used in a particular activity; equipment or apparatus.
2. Personal belongings.
3. (law) A married woman's personal property apart from her dowry.

Word family

• paraphernalian

Related words

• bear
• dowry
• trappings

Usage notes

The word is plural in form but may take a singular or plural verb.^[5][6] Random House lists appurtenances, accouterments and trappings as synonyms.^[6]

References

1. [1] Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
3. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] Barnhart, Robert K., ed. (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, New York: HarperCollins
4. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] Harper, Douglas, Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
5. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
6. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House
7. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press