Antiquarians

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Individuals who study or collect antiques and artifacts, often focused on historical significance
2. Scholars or enthusiasts dedicated to the investigation and preservation of past cultures through material objects
3. People who appreciate and investigate ancient objects, seeking to understand their history and context

Etymology: The plural "antiquarians" is simply the plural of "antiquarian," which is formed from "antiquary" plus the suffix "-an," meaning one connected with or belonging to something. The suffix arrived in English through Old French from Latin "-anus," and its ancestors reach back through Proto-Italic to the Proto-Indo-European root for the same kind of relational ending. Its path into English is therefore long, but the suffix itself is an ordinary one, found in words such as "Lutheran" and "republican." The base word "antiquary" comes from Latin "antiquarius," meaning someone who deals with old things, which in turn grows from "antiquus," meaning "ancient" or "old." Those who study or collect relics of the past therefore carry the name of their subject in their title: an antiquarian is literally a person concerned with antiquity.

Synonyms: collectors, historians