paraphernalia: [17] In former times, when a woman married her property was divided into two categories: her dowry, which became the property of her husband, and the rest. The legal term for the latter was paraphernalia, which came via medieval Latin from late Latin parapherna, a borrowing from Greek parápherna. And the Greek word in turn was a compound formed from pará ‘beside’ and pherné ‘dowry’. It is a measure of the light in which these remaining odds and ends were viewed that by the early 18th century the term paraphernalia had come to be used dismissively for ‘equipment’ or ‘impedimenta’.
paraphernalia (n.)
1650s, "a woman's property besides her dowry," from Medieval Latin paraphernalia (short for paraphernalia bona "paraphernal goods"), neuter plural of paraphernalis (adj.), from Late Latin parapherna "a woman's property besides her dowry," from Greek parapherna, neuter plural, from para- "beside" (see para- (1)) + pherne "dowry," related to pherein "to carry" (see infer). Meaning "equipment, apparatus" is first attested 1791, from notion of odds and ends.
双语例句
1. The public don't necessarily want the paraphernalia of a full hearing.
公众并不一定希望走全面听证的复杂程序。
来自柯林斯例句
2. an electric kettle and all the paraphernalia for making tea and coffee
电水壶及沏茶冲咖啡的全套用具
来自《权威词典》
3. Can you move all your paraphernalia out of the way?
你可以把所有的随身物品移开 吗 ?
来自《简明英汉词典》
4. Get rid of all cigarettes and ashtrays and other paraphernalia associated with smoking.
扔掉所有香烟、烟灰缸和与吸烟有关的其他物品。
来自柯林斯例句
5. Theatrical paraphernalia had been provided over and above her care.
