English dictionary, thesaurus, translations & etymology
FreeDict.com

paraphernalia

The origin and history of paraphernalia.

Etymology

From Medieval Latin paraphernalia, "goods belonging to a wife beyond her dowry," from Greek para- ("beside") + pherne ("dowry"). The word broadened from a legal term for a wife's personal property into "assorted gear" generally.

← Back to the full definition of paraphernalia
Etymology from freedict-original, original.