English

Noun

antiquarianism ‎(plural antiquarianisms)

1. (uncountable) Study or love of antiques
2. (uncountable) Study or love of antiquity
3. archaism

Usage notes

The term (referring to antiquity) has a connotation of favoring "curious" details over the historically important. See, for example, Roy Rosenzweig (June 2006). "Can History be Open Source? Wikipedia and the Future of the Past". The Journal of American History (Center for History and New Media) 93 (1): 117–146. Retrieved on August 11, 2006: "Professional historians might find an account accurate and fair but trivial; that is what some see as the difference between history and antiquarianism."

For a use in the sense of archaism see, for example, Jeffrey Jullich, Review of Bed Hangings by Susan Howe, Electronic Poetry Review #2. Retrieved on October 30, 2006: "We cannot tell if we're facing "nonsense" words that she's coining afresh or obsolete, Old English antiquarianisms from before the standardization of spelling."

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