Paraphernalia [par-uh-fer-neyl-yuh] is a noun that now basically means “miscellaneous stuff”, though judging from the origins of the word, it didn’t used to mean that.
It’s a mid-17th century word about the property owned by a married woman; from medieval Latin, based on Greek parapherna ‘property apart from a dowry,’ from para ‘distinct from’ +pherna (from phernē ‘dowry’).
A more specific definition of the word as it’s now used, though, are the things necessary for a particular activity. It isn’t just junk, but it could maybe be stuff. (There is a definition that makes it sound like the things are clutter or unnecessary–“superfluous”, according to Google; another word that I’m rather fond of!)
It’s not used often, but it definitely has more common use than, say, tintinnabulation! 🙂
~*~RaeAnne
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