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What is the word for a collection of obscure things?

English Language & Usage Asked by BadgerBadgerBadgerBadger on April 13, 2021

I discovered that esoterica is what you would call a collection of esoteric things. What would a collection of obscure things be called? Obscura is definitely wrong.

The word (a noun) must fit into this sentence:

  • In this room I have a wonderful collection of obscure artifacts – a/an ______.

3 Answers

Phantasmagoria is quite close.

3: a bizarre or fantastic combination, collection, or assemblage

[Merriam-Webster]

Answered by FeliniusRex on April 13, 2021

Menagerie

I thought the word only covered animals but I may be wrong

1a : a place where animals are kept and trained especially for exhibition b : a collection of wild or foreign animals kept especially for exhibition 2 : a varied mixture a menagerie of comedians — TV Guide A menagerie of grotesque statues stood in the garden. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/menagerie

Eclectic (mix) of items

Eclectic: deriving ideas, style, or taste from a broad and diverse range of sources. "universities offering an eclectic mix of courses" Google Eclectic

eclectic (adj.)

1680s, "not confined to or following any one model or system," originally in reference to ancient philosophers who selected doctrines from every system; from French #eclectique (1650s), from Greek eklektikos "selective," literally "picking out," from eklektos "selected," from eklegein "pick out, select," from ek "out" (see ex-) + legein "gather, choose," from PIE root *leg- (1) "to collect, gather." Broader sense of "borrowed from diverse sources" is first recorded 1847. As a noun from 1817.

https://www.etymonline.com/search?q=eclectic

Curios

a rare, unusual, or intriguing object. "they had such fun over the wonderful box of curios that Jack had sent from India" Google Curio

1851, "piece of bric-a-brac from the Far East," a shortening of curiosity (n.) in the "object of interest" sense (1640s). Extended by 1890s to rare or interesting bric-a-brac from anywhere.

Curioso (1650s) was a 17c.-18c. word for "one who is curious" (about science, art, etc.) also "one who admires or collects curiosities," from Italian curioso "curious person."

Answered by user414952 on April 13, 2021

These are some of my most beloved words for when one comes to be the caretaker of the little absurdities in life,

A cabinet of curiosities (or Wunderkammer in German) see here

also known as ‘wonder rooms’, were small collections of extraordinary objects which

A menagerie

a collection of wild animals kept in captivity for exhibition. a strange or diverse collection of people or things.

  • Historical apparatuses, from the perspectograph through to today's high-tech menagerie, are on display.

...

  • Their lightning-fast delivery of three-chord tunes, and lyrical menagerie of punks, runts, brats, loudmouths, and jungle queens create the illusion of dumb simplicity.

[Lexico]

Also not distinctly what you are looking for but I always thought the word "pigeonhole" had a "collection of oddities" sense to it, but that may just be me.

Beloved is the eccentric that harvests the beauty in strange things!

Answered by Tom O' Bedlam on April 13, 2021

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