Is there a word for an object that is no longer kept for its original purpose but instead for sentimental value?

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The object in question would usually be no longer in use, or perhaps used extremely infrequently compared to when it was first brought.



Redundant is an adjective (though I would prefer a noun) that might fit this purpose, however it does not reference the fact that the object has been retained out of nostalgia and also has negative connotations rather than positive.



Memento or keepsake are similar words to what I am looking for, however these are kept to remind of a specific person or event and not to remind of the past history of that specific object itself.



An example might be a toy kept from when you were younger or a laptop stored away after a new one has replaced it.




single-word-requests




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  • 1




    Clutter, burden, hoardings, rummage, that stuff in the basement, that stuff in the garage, that stuff in the corner of the bedroom.
    – Hot Licks
    17 hours ago






  • 3




    A toy kept from when you were younger might be a memento or keepsake, I don't see the problem with these words. A laptop stored away after a new one has replaced it could be a spare. I don't think I understand the question. Keepsakes and mementos can be kept as a remembrance of the keepsake or memento itself, and not necessarily past events or people.
    – Zebrafish
    17 hours ago










  • Alluvium is another term.
    – Hot Licks
    17 hours ago






  • 6




    I won't bother posting the answer since you already discounted it, but the correct word for what you're talking about is precisely a keepsake. People won't understand what a 'mathom' is, unless they read Tolkien. If they do, they'll misunderstand anyway.
    – lly
    7 hours ago

















up vote
8
down vote

favorite
1












The object in question would usually be no longer in use, or perhaps used extremely infrequently compared to when it was first brought.



Redundant is an adjective (though I would prefer a noun) that might fit this purpose, however it does not reference the fact that the object has been retained out of nostalgia and also has negative connotations rather than positive.



Memento or keepsake are similar words to what I am looking for, however these are kept to remind of a specific person or event and not to remind of the past history of that specific object itself.



An example might be a toy kept from when you were younger or a laptop stored away after a new one has replaced it.




single-word-requests




share|improve this question

















  • 1




    Clutter, burden, hoardings, rummage, that stuff in the basement, that stuff in the garage, that stuff in the corner of the bedroom.
    – Hot Licks
    17 hours ago






  • 3




    A toy kept from when you were younger might be a memento or keepsake, I don't see the problem with these words. A laptop stored away after a new one has replaced it could be a spare. I don't think I understand the question. Keepsakes and mementos can be kept as a remembrance of the keepsake or memento itself, and not necessarily past events or people.
    – Zebrafish
    17 hours ago










  • Alluvium is another term.
    – Hot Licks
    17 hours ago






  • 6




    I won't bother posting the answer since you already discounted it, but the correct word for what you're talking about is precisely a keepsake. People won't understand what a 'mathom' is, unless they read Tolkien. If they do, they'll misunderstand anyway.
    – lly
    7 hours ago













up vote
8
down vote

favorite
1









up vote
8
down vote

favorite
1






1





The object in question would usually be no longer in use, or perhaps used extremely infrequently compared to when it was first brought.



Redundant is an adjective (though I would prefer a noun) that might fit this purpose, however it does not reference the fact that the object has been retained out of nostalgia and also has negative connotations rather than positive.



Memento or keepsake are similar words to what I am looking for, however these are kept to remind of a specific person or event and not to remind of the past history of that specific object itself.



An example might be a toy kept from when you were younger or a laptop stored away after a new one has replaced it.




single-word-requests




share|improve this question













The object in question would usually be no longer in use, or perhaps used extremely infrequently compared to when it was first brought.



Redundant is an adjective (though I would prefer a noun) that might fit this purpose, however it does not reference the fact that the object has been retained out of nostalgia and also has negative connotations rather than positive.



Memento or keepsake are similar words to what I am looking for, however these are kept to remind of a specific person or event and not to remind of the past history of that specific object itself.



An example might be a toy kept from when you were younger or a laptop stored away after a new one has replaced it.





single-word-requests





share|improve this question












share|improve this question




share|improve this question








edited 15 hours ago









tchrist♦

105k26281447




105k26281447









asked 17 hours ago









Alexander51413

463




463







  • 1




    Clutter, burden, hoardings, rummage, that stuff in the basement, that stuff in the garage, that stuff in the corner of the bedroom.
    – Hot Licks
    17 hours ago






  • 3




    A toy kept from when you were younger might be a memento or keepsake, I don't see the problem with these words. A laptop stored away after a new one has replaced it could be a spare. I don't think I understand the question. Keepsakes and mementos can be kept as a remembrance of the keepsake or memento itself, and not necessarily past events or people.
    – Zebrafish
    17 hours ago










  • Alluvium is another term.
    – Hot Licks
    17 hours ago






  • 6




    I won't bother posting the answer since you already discounted it, but the correct word for what you're talking about is precisely a keepsake. People won't understand what a 'mathom' is, unless they read Tolkien. If they do, they'll misunderstand anyway.
    – lly
    7 hours ago













  • 1




    Clutter, burden, hoardings, rummage, that stuff in the basement, that stuff in the garage, that stuff in the corner of the bedroom.
    – Hot Licks
    17 hours ago






  • 3




    A toy kept from when you were younger might be a memento or keepsake, I don't see the problem with these words. A laptop stored away after a new one has replaced it could be a spare. I don't think I understand the question. Keepsakes and mementos can be kept as a remembrance of the keepsake or memento itself, and not necessarily past events or people.
    – Zebrafish
    17 hours ago










  • Alluvium is another term.
    – Hot Licks
    17 hours ago






  • 6




    I won't bother posting the answer since you already discounted it, but the correct word for what you're talking about is precisely a keepsake. People won't understand what a 'mathom' is, unless they read Tolkien. If they do, they'll misunderstand anyway.
    – lly
    7 hours ago








1




1




Clutter, burden, hoardings, rummage, that stuff in the basement, that stuff in the garage, that stuff in the corner of the bedroom.
– Hot Licks
17 hours ago




Clutter, burden, hoardings, rummage, that stuff in the basement, that stuff in the garage, that stuff in the corner of the bedroom.
– Hot Licks
17 hours ago




3




3




A toy kept from when you were younger might be a memento or keepsake, I don't see the problem with these words. A laptop stored away after a new one has replaced it could be a spare. I don't think I understand the question. Keepsakes and mementos can be kept as a remembrance of the keepsake or memento itself, and not necessarily past events or people.
– Zebrafish
17 hours ago




A toy kept from when you were younger might be a memento or keepsake, I don't see the problem with these words. A laptop stored away after a new one has replaced it could be a spare. I don't think I understand the question. Keepsakes and mementos can be kept as a remembrance of the keepsake or memento itself, and not necessarily past events or people.
– Zebrafish
17 hours ago












Alluvium is another term.
– Hot Licks
17 hours ago




Alluvium is another term.
– Hot Licks
17 hours ago




6




6




I won't bother posting the answer since you already discounted it, but the correct word for what you're talking about is precisely a keepsake. People won't understand what a 'mathom' is, unless they read Tolkien. If they do, they'll misunderstand anyway.
– lly
7 hours ago





I won't bother posting the answer since you already discounted it, but the correct word for what you're talking about is precisely a keepsake. People won't understand what a 'mathom' is, unless they read Tolkien. If they do, they'll misunderstand anyway.
– lly
7 hours ago











7 Answers
7






active

oldest

votes

















up vote
8
down vote



accepted











mathom /ˈmæðəm/



A lovely, ancient, and eminently modern word for this is mathom. The OED gives for the current sense of mathom:




  1. A trinket, a piece of bric-a-brac.



But you need to know more about it that just that, for there’s more to it than just that.



Its original sense from Old English is now obsolete:




  1. A precious thing, a treasure, a valuable gift. Obsolete



For its origin OED notes that:




Etymology: Cognate with Old Saxon mēðom (masculine) precious thing, a treasure, Old Icelandic meiðmar (feminine plural) valuables, Gothic maiþms (masculine) gift, ultimately < the Indo-European base of classical Latin mūtāre to exchange (see mutate v.).




The word was playfully revived in a slightly different sense (see sense 2) in the 20th. cent. by J. R. R. Tolkien.





Here’s a Middle English citation:




  • c1275 (▸?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1963) 896
    Ȝeue us þe king & al his gold, & þa maðmes of his lond.



In other words, “Give us the king and all his gold, and the mathoms of his land.” They were after treasure.



Toikien’s “playful revival” of the word in a slightly different sense appears first
in the Prologue to The Lord of the Rings, where he wrote:




At no time had Hobbits of any kind been warlike, and they had never fought among themselves. In olden days they had, of course, been often obliged to fight to maintain themselves in a hard world; but in Bilbo's time that was very ancient history. The last battle, before this story opens, and indeed the only one that had ever been fought within the borders of the Shire, was beyond living memory: the Battle of Greenfields, S.R. 1147, in which Bandobras Took routed an invasion of Orcs. Even the weathers had grown milder, and the wolves that had once come ravening out of the North in bitter white winters were now only a grandfather's tale. So, though there was still some store of weapons in the Shire, these were used mostly as trophies, hanging above hearths or on walls, or gathered into the museum at Michel Delving. The Mathom-house it was called; for anything that Hobbits had no immediate use for, but were unwilling to throw away, they called a mathom. Their dwellings were apt to become rather crowded with mathoms, and many of the presents that passed from hand to hand were of that sort.




And it has been used by other authors, in non-Hobbitty contexts, since then. For example, the OED provides (among others) a citation from Byte magazine:




  • 1998 Byte Jan. 123/1
    A storage company where I keep a bunch of mathoms—stuff I can't quite bring myself to throw away.



See also the LotR Wiki entry for this word, which begins with:




Mathom was the hobbit term for anything which they had no use for but were unwilling to throw away. Their holes and houses usually were quite crowded with mathoms. Hobbits were very fond of giving mathoms to one another; on birthdays, it was tradition that the hobbit who had the birthday would give a gift to anyone who attended his party. This way mathoms travelled from hand to hand often around the whole Shire, sometimes finding their way back to the original owner. Weapons and other gear of war was usually looked upon as mathoms in the Shire and usually they became trophies hanging over fireplaces or on walls.







share|improve this answer



















  • 9




    This not only isn't a word in common use, the vast majority of people would need to look up its definition if they ever heard it. Just sayin'.
    – fixer1234
    15 hours ago






  • 7




    @fixer1234 And chances are they wouldn't find it, as most of the common online dictionaries don't even list the word, though it's found on Wiktionary, and Urban Dictionary. A lot of Tolkien geeks seem to know the word. I still don't get the OP's question. Memento and keepsake (his words) seem to fit.
    – Zebrafish
    15 hours ago






  • 2




    @fixer1234 You’re right: I completely missed the part of the question that said to find a word that everybody knows, or that only people who don’t read know. Isn’t that what all Single Word Requests are, just picking your favorite word from the English Top Five Hundred Most Frequently Used Words by Four-Year-Olds? Heaven forbid that we should choose something from literature and unfairly disenfranchise the unlettered!
    – tchrist♦
    14 hours ago







  • 3




    Do I detect a hint of sarcasm there? :-) I assume that when people are looking for the "perfect" word, it is to use it in communication. A word that is spot-on in meaning, but that almost nobody has ever heard of, isn't very useful for communicating. Forget the 500 most frequently used words by 4 yo's. This one is more in the realm of being hard to find anyone who knows what it means. And if you found all the people who knew and put them in a room for a month, none of them would ever utter it, even if they were discussing what souvenirs to take home from the gathering.
    – fixer1234
    13 hours ago






  • 3




    +1 This is the kind of word that could easily turn up on one of those "10 obscure words you can use right now" type lists that will then suddenly start popping up in cartoons and crossword puzzles and become a lot of folks' favorite new-old word (like aglet).
    – 1006a
    10 hours ago


















up vote
10
down vote













Souvenir:




[Merriam-Webster]



: something that serves as a reminder



When I went to the Super Bowl, I kept my ticket stub as a souvenir.

kept their love letters as souvenirs of their courtship




An old laptop (assuming it's not just junk) is a souvenir of an earlier time. Especially if it serves no other purpose than to exemplify how things used to be and remind you of them. (It's similar to keeping a typewriter or an 8-track tape.)






share|improve this answer



















  • 2




    I'm not sure you would refer to an old laptop as a souvenir
    – Alexander51413
    16 hours ago






  • 1




    @Alexander51413 What else would it be if not just junk? (I mean, why keep it otherwise?)
    – Jason Bassford
    16 hours ago






  • 2




    I'm inclined to agree with Alexander. Souvenir is often associated with journeys; as can be seen from the first example.
    – MSalters
    4 hours ago






  • 1




    @MSalters I would even go as far as saying that souvenirs are always associated with journeys. It is something you bring back from somewhere, like a fridge magnet from your holiday.
    – Ian
    3 hours ago










  • @Alexander51413: Souvenir is often referred to as something you take from a place (e.g. holiday destination), but its primary definition fits equally well for something you keep from the past (e.g. childhood). In either case, its primary purpose is to remind you of where(/when) you got it from and its signficance to you.
    – Flater
    1 hour ago


















up vote
7
down vote













How about memorabilia:




1 : things that are remarkable and worthy of remembrance: a wealth of early railroad memorabilia



2 : things that stir recollection or are valued or collected for their association with a particular field or interest: mementos baseball memorabilia



(merriam-webster)







1 [treated as singular or plural] Objects kept or collected because of their associations with memorable people or events.



‘sixties memorabilia’



(oxforddictionaries)







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    up vote
    3
    down vote













    A relic is "a surviving memorial of something past", which seems just about perfect for your purpose.

    To be sure, the most common association is with the relics of saints - fragments of the True Cross, or the bones of St. Mark - but relics are not necessarily religious. (Despite the similarity of spelling, "relic" and "religion" are derived from different Latin roots.)



    Historical artifacts, outmoded ideas, and even retired persons are often called "relics", so there's no reason your old laptop can't be one too.






    share|improve this answer





















    • "Relic" refers to something ancient. It's used to refer to something from recent times only in a sarcastic way, a humorous comparison to it being ancient.
      – fixer1234
      15 hours ago






    • 1




      @fixer1234 Citation, please? Fox News: "Socialist candidate Ocasio-Cortez once saw herself as Smithian capitalist, viewed feminism as 'relic'" USA Today: "St. Louis volunteers preserve Trans World Airlines relic" TheStreet.com "Who Could Win Big Now That Toys 'R' Us Is a Relic of the Past?" None of these are sarcastic or humorous, I would say.
      – MT_Head
      15 hours ago










    • I label those sarcastic, maybe I should include exaggeration. Those citations are meant to imply that the subject in question is ancient (exaggeration of out-of-date).
      – fixer1234
      13 hours ago










    • @fixer1234 I'm glad to hear you citing an authority.
      – MT_Head
      12 hours ago






    • 1




      @fixer1234 I was referring to your own authority: "I label those sarcastic". I bow to it.
      – MT_Head
      11 hours ago

















    up vote
    3
    down vote













    token TFD




    1. a symbol or visible representation of something



    As in:



    He is also planning to bring them some reminders from their past, although his office did not say what those tokens would be.






    share|improve this answer




























      up vote
      1
      down vote













      How about 'antique'? People often keep these for ornamental purposes long after they have stopped using them.






      share|improve this answer




























        up vote
        1
        down vote













        Vestigial



        Adjective, but a noun in Biology




        1. forming a very small remnant of something that was once greater or more noticeable. "he felt a vestigial flicker of anger from last
          night" synonyms: remaining, surviving, residual, leftover, lingering;
          More persisting, abiding, lasting, enduring "he feels a vestigial
          flicker of anger from last night"

        2. Biology (of an organ or part of the body) degenerate, rudimentary, or atrophied, having become functionless in the course of evolution.
          "the vestigial wings of kiwis are entirely hidden"






        share|improve this answer



















        • 1




          Hi Mark, I think your answer would be much better if you provided the source! You can refer to the help section if you need more information.
          – Ian
          3 hours ago










        • Mark, it's also important to understand that if your block quote is indeed from another source (i.e. not your own words) and you fail to cite the source, not only are you likely to get downvoted, you risk more serious sanctions for plagiarism.
          – Chappo
          2 hours ago










        • Biologist here. I've never heard "vestigal" as a noun. "Vestige" is the noun form (but not so commonly used in biology).
          – brendan
          40 mins ago










        • Right you are Brendan, thanks.
          – Mark
          27 mins ago










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        7 Answers
        7






        active

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        7 Answers
        7






        active

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        active

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        up vote
        8
        down vote



        accepted











        mathom /ˈmæðəm/



        A lovely, ancient, and eminently modern word for this is mathom. The OED gives for the current sense of mathom:




        1. A trinket, a piece of bric-a-brac.



        But you need to know more about it that just that, for there’s more to it than just that.



        Its original sense from Old English is now obsolete:




        1. A precious thing, a treasure, a valuable gift. Obsolete



        For its origin OED notes that:




        Etymology: Cognate with Old Saxon mēðom (masculine) precious thing, a treasure, Old Icelandic meiðmar (feminine plural) valuables, Gothic maiþms (masculine) gift, ultimately < the Indo-European base of classical Latin mūtāre to exchange (see mutate v.).




        The word was playfully revived in a slightly different sense (see sense 2) in the 20th. cent. by J. R. R. Tolkien.





        Here’s a Middle English citation:




        • c1275 (▸?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1963) 896
          Ȝeue us þe king & al his gold, & þa maðmes of his lond.



        In other words, “Give us the king and all his gold, and the mathoms of his land.” They were after treasure.



        Toikien’s “playful revival” of the word in a slightly different sense appears first
        in the Prologue to The Lord of the Rings, where he wrote:




        At no time had Hobbits of any kind been warlike, and they had never fought among themselves. In olden days they had, of course, been often obliged to fight to maintain themselves in a hard world; but in Bilbo's time that was very ancient history. The last battle, before this story opens, and indeed the only one that had ever been fought within the borders of the Shire, was beyond living memory: the Battle of Greenfields, S.R. 1147, in which Bandobras Took routed an invasion of Orcs. Even the weathers had grown milder, and the wolves that had once come ravening out of the North in bitter white winters were now only a grandfather's tale. So, though there was still some store of weapons in the Shire, these were used mostly as trophies, hanging above hearths or on walls, or gathered into the museum at Michel Delving. The Mathom-house it was called; for anything that Hobbits had no immediate use for, but were unwilling to throw away, they called a mathom. Their dwellings were apt to become rather crowded with mathoms, and many of the presents that passed from hand to hand were of that sort.




        And it has been used by other authors, in non-Hobbitty contexts, since then. For example, the OED provides (among others) a citation from Byte magazine:




        • 1998 Byte Jan. 123/1
          A storage company where I keep a bunch of mathoms—stuff I can't quite bring myself to throw away.



        See also the LotR Wiki entry for this word, which begins with:




        Mathom was the hobbit term for anything which they had no use for but were unwilling to throw away. Their holes and houses usually were quite crowded with mathoms. Hobbits were very fond of giving mathoms to one another; on birthdays, it was tradition that the hobbit who had the birthday would give a gift to anyone who attended his party. This way mathoms travelled from hand to hand often around the whole Shire, sometimes finding their way back to the original owner. Weapons and other gear of war was usually looked upon as mathoms in the Shire and usually they became trophies hanging over fireplaces or on walls.







        share|improve this answer



















        • 9




          This not only isn't a word in common use, the vast majority of people would need to look up its definition if they ever heard it. Just sayin'.
          – fixer1234
          15 hours ago






        • 7




          @fixer1234 And chances are they wouldn't find it, as most of the common online dictionaries don't even list the word, though it's found on Wiktionary, and Urban Dictionary. A lot of Tolkien geeks seem to know the word. I still don't get the OP's question. Memento and keepsake (his words) seem to fit.
          – Zebrafish
          15 hours ago






        • 2




          @fixer1234 You’re right: I completely missed the part of the question that said to find a word that everybody knows, or that only people who don’t read know. Isn’t that what all Single Word Requests are, just picking your favorite word from the English Top Five Hundred Most Frequently Used Words by Four-Year-Olds? Heaven forbid that we should choose something from literature and unfairly disenfranchise the unlettered!
          – tchrist♦
          14 hours ago







        • 3




          Do I detect a hint of sarcasm there? :-) I assume that when people are looking for the "perfect" word, it is to use it in communication. A word that is spot-on in meaning, but that almost nobody has ever heard of, isn't very useful for communicating. Forget the 500 most frequently used words by 4 yo's. This one is more in the realm of being hard to find anyone who knows what it means. And if you found all the people who knew and put them in a room for a month, none of them would ever utter it, even if they were discussing what souvenirs to take home from the gathering.
          – fixer1234
          13 hours ago






        • 3




          +1 This is the kind of word that could easily turn up on one of those "10 obscure words you can use right now" type lists that will then suddenly start popping up in cartoons and crossword puzzles and become a lot of folks' favorite new-old word (like aglet).
          – 1006a
          10 hours ago















        up vote
        8
        down vote



        accepted











        mathom /ˈmæðəm/



        A lovely, ancient, and eminently modern word for this is mathom. The OED gives for the current sense of mathom:




        1. A trinket, a piece of bric-a-brac.



        But you need to know more about it that just that, for there’s more to it than just that.



        Its original sense from Old English is now obsolete:




        1. A precious thing, a treasure, a valuable gift. Obsolete



        For its origin OED notes that:




        Etymology: Cognate with Old Saxon mēðom (masculine) precious thing, a treasure, Old Icelandic meiðmar (feminine plural) valuables, Gothic maiþms (masculine) gift, ultimately < the Indo-European base of classical Latin mūtāre to exchange (see mutate v.).




        The word was playfully revived in a slightly different sense (see sense 2) in the 20th. cent. by J. R. R. Tolkien.





        Here’s a Middle English citation:




        • c1275 (▸?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1963) 896
          Ȝeue us þe king & al his gold, & þa maðmes of his lond.



        In other words, “Give us the king and all his gold, and the mathoms of his land.” They were after treasure.



        Toikien’s “playful revival” of the word in a slightly different sense appears first
        in the Prologue to The Lord of the Rings, where he wrote:




        At no time had Hobbits of any kind been warlike, and they had never fought among themselves. In olden days they had, of course, been often obliged to fight to maintain themselves in a hard world; but in Bilbo's time that was very ancient history. The last battle, before this story opens, and indeed the only one that had ever been fought within the borders of the Shire, was beyond living memory: the Battle of Greenfields, S.R. 1147, in which Bandobras Took routed an invasion of Orcs. Even the weathers had grown milder, and the wolves that had once come ravening out of the North in bitter white winters were now only a grandfather's tale. So, though there was still some store of weapons in the Shire, these were used mostly as trophies, hanging above hearths or on walls, or gathered into the museum at Michel Delving. The Mathom-house it was called; for anything that Hobbits had no immediate use for, but were unwilling to throw away, they called a mathom. Their dwellings were apt to become rather crowded with mathoms, and many of the presents that passed from hand to hand were of that sort.




        And it has been used by other authors, in non-Hobbitty contexts, since then. For example, the OED provides (among others) a citation from Byte magazine:




        • 1998 Byte Jan. 123/1
          A storage company where I keep a bunch of mathoms—stuff I can't quite bring myself to throw away.



        See also the LotR Wiki entry for this word, which begins with:




        Mathom was the hobbit term for anything which they had no use for but were unwilling to throw away. Their holes and houses usually were quite crowded with mathoms. Hobbits were very fond of giving mathoms to one another; on birthdays, it was tradition that the hobbit who had the birthday would give a gift to anyone who attended his party. This way mathoms travelled from hand to hand often around the whole Shire, sometimes finding their way back to the original owner. Weapons and other gear of war was usually looked upon as mathoms in the Shire and usually they became trophies hanging over fireplaces or on walls.







        share|improve this answer



















        • 9




          This not only isn't a word in common use, the vast majority of people would need to look up its definition if they ever heard it. Just sayin'.
          – fixer1234
          15 hours ago






        • 7




          @fixer1234 And chances are they wouldn't find it, as most of the common online dictionaries don't even list the word, though it's found on Wiktionary, and Urban Dictionary. A lot of Tolkien geeks seem to know the word. I still don't get the OP's question. Memento and keepsake (his words) seem to fit.
          – Zebrafish
          15 hours ago






        • 2




          @fixer1234 You’re right: I completely missed the part of the question that said to find a word that everybody knows, or that only people who don’t read know. Isn’t that what all Single Word Requests are, just picking your favorite word from the English Top Five Hundred Most Frequently Used Words by Four-Year-Olds? Heaven forbid that we should choose something from literature and unfairly disenfranchise the unlettered!
          – tchrist♦
          14 hours ago







        • 3




          Do I detect a hint of sarcasm there? :-) I assume that when people are looking for the "perfect" word, it is to use it in communication. A word that is spot-on in meaning, but that almost nobody has ever heard of, isn't very useful for communicating. Forget the 500 most frequently used words by 4 yo's. This one is more in the realm of being hard to find anyone who knows what it means. And if you found all the people who knew and put them in a room for a month, none of them would ever utter it, even if they were discussing what souvenirs to take home from the gathering.
          – fixer1234
          13 hours ago






        • 3




          +1 This is the kind of word that could easily turn up on one of those "10 obscure words you can use right now" type lists that will then suddenly start popping up in cartoons and crossword puzzles and become a lot of folks' favorite new-old word (like aglet).
          – 1006a
          10 hours ago













        up vote
        8
        down vote



        accepted







        up vote
        8
        down vote



        accepted







        mathom /ˈmæðəm/



        A lovely, ancient, and eminently modern word for this is mathom. The OED gives for the current sense of mathom:




        1. A trinket, a piece of bric-a-brac.



        But you need to know more about it that just that, for there’s more to it than just that.



        Its original sense from Old English is now obsolete:




        1. A precious thing, a treasure, a valuable gift. Obsolete



        For its origin OED notes that:




        Etymology: Cognate with Old Saxon mēðom (masculine) precious thing, a treasure, Old Icelandic meiðmar (feminine plural) valuables, Gothic maiþms (masculine) gift, ultimately < the Indo-European base of classical Latin mūtāre to exchange (see mutate v.).




        The word was playfully revived in a slightly different sense (see sense 2) in the 20th. cent. by J. R. R. Tolkien.





        Here’s a Middle English citation:




        • c1275 (▸?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1963) 896
          Ȝeue us þe king & al his gold, & þa maðmes of his lond.



        In other words, “Give us the king and all his gold, and the mathoms of his land.” They were after treasure.



        Toikien’s “playful revival” of the word in a slightly different sense appears first
        in the Prologue to The Lord of the Rings, where he wrote:




        At no time had Hobbits of any kind been warlike, and they had never fought among themselves. In olden days they had, of course, been often obliged to fight to maintain themselves in a hard world; but in Bilbo's time that was very ancient history. The last battle, before this story opens, and indeed the only one that had ever been fought within the borders of the Shire, was beyond living memory: the Battle of Greenfields, S.R. 1147, in which Bandobras Took routed an invasion of Orcs. Even the weathers had grown milder, and the wolves that had once come ravening out of the North in bitter white winters were now only a grandfather's tale. So, though there was still some store of weapons in the Shire, these were used mostly as trophies, hanging above hearths or on walls, or gathered into the museum at Michel Delving. The Mathom-house it was called; for anything that Hobbits had no immediate use for, but were unwilling to throw away, they called a mathom. Their dwellings were apt to become rather crowded with mathoms, and many of the presents that passed from hand to hand were of that sort.




        And it has been used by other authors, in non-Hobbitty contexts, since then. For example, the OED provides (among others) a citation from Byte magazine:




        • 1998 Byte Jan. 123/1
          A storage company where I keep a bunch of mathoms—stuff I can't quite bring myself to throw away.



        See also the LotR Wiki entry for this word, which begins with:




        Mathom was the hobbit term for anything which they had no use for but were unwilling to throw away. Their holes and houses usually were quite crowded with mathoms. Hobbits were very fond of giving mathoms to one another; on birthdays, it was tradition that the hobbit who had the birthday would give a gift to anyone who attended his party. This way mathoms travelled from hand to hand often around the whole Shire, sometimes finding their way back to the original owner. Weapons and other gear of war was usually looked upon as mathoms in the Shire and usually they became trophies hanging over fireplaces or on walls.







        share|improve this answer
















        mathom /ˈmæðəm/



        A lovely, ancient, and eminently modern word for this is mathom. The OED gives for the current sense of mathom:




        1. A trinket, a piece of bric-a-brac.



        But you need to know more about it that just that, for there’s more to it than just that.



        Its original sense from Old English is now obsolete:




        1. A precious thing, a treasure, a valuable gift. Obsolete



        For its origin OED notes that:




        Etymology: Cognate with Old Saxon mēðom (masculine) precious thing, a treasure, Old Icelandic meiðmar (feminine plural) valuables, Gothic maiþms (masculine) gift, ultimately < the Indo-European base of classical Latin mūtāre to exchange (see mutate v.).




        The word was playfully revived in a slightly different sense (see sense 2) in the 20th. cent. by J. R. R. Tolkien.





        Here’s a Middle English citation:




        • c1275 (▸?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1963) 896
          Ȝeue us þe king & al his gold, & þa maðmes of his lond.



        In other words, “Give us the king and all his gold, and the mathoms of his land.” They were after treasure.



        Toikien’s “playful revival” of the word in a slightly different sense appears first
        in the Prologue to The Lord of the Rings, where he wrote:




        At no time had Hobbits of any kind been warlike, and they had never fought among themselves. In olden days they had, of course, been often obliged to fight to maintain themselves in a hard world; but in Bilbo's time that was very ancient history. The last battle, before this story opens, and indeed the only one that had ever been fought within the borders of the Shire, was beyond living memory: the Battle of Greenfields, S.R. 1147, in which Bandobras Took routed an invasion of Orcs. Even the weathers had grown milder, and the wolves that had once come ravening out of the North in bitter white winters were now only a grandfather's tale. So, though there was still some store of weapons in the Shire, these were used mostly as trophies, hanging above hearths or on walls, or gathered into the museum at Michel Delving. The Mathom-house it was called; for anything that Hobbits had no immediate use for, but were unwilling to throw away, they called a mathom. Their dwellings were apt to become rather crowded with mathoms, and many of the presents that passed from hand to hand were of that sort.




        And it has been used by other authors, in non-Hobbitty contexts, since then. For example, the OED provides (among others) a citation from Byte magazine:




        • 1998 Byte Jan. 123/1
          A storage company where I keep a bunch of mathoms—stuff I can't quite bring myself to throw away.



        See also the LotR Wiki entry for this word, which begins with:




        Mathom was the hobbit term for anything which they had no use for but were unwilling to throw away. Their holes and houses usually were quite crowded with mathoms. Hobbits were very fond of giving mathoms to one another; on birthdays, it was tradition that the hobbit who had the birthday would give a gift to anyone who attended his party. This way mathoms travelled from hand to hand often around the whole Shire, sometimes finding their way back to the original owner. Weapons and other gear of war was usually looked upon as mathoms in the Shire and usually they became trophies hanging over fireplaces or on walls.








        share|improve this answer















        share|improve this answer



        share|improve this answer








        edited 2 hours ago


























        answered 16 hours ago









        tchrist♦

        105k26281447




        105k26281447







        • 9




          This not only isn't a word in common use, the vast majority of people would need to look up its definition if they ever heard it. Just sayin'.
          – fixer1234
          15 hours ago






        • 7




          @fixer1234 And chances are they wouldn't find it, as most of the common online dictionaries don't even list the word, though it's found on Wiktionary, and Urban Dictionary. A lot of Tolkien geeks seem to know the word. I still don't get the OP's question. Memento and keepsake (his words) seem to fit.
          – Zebrafish
          15 hours ago






        • 2




          @fixer1234 You’re right: I completely missed the part of the question that said to find a word that everybody knows, or that only people who don’t read know. Isn’t that what all Single Word Requests are, just picking your favorite word from the English Top Five Hundred Most Frequently Used Words by Four-Year-Olds? Heaven forbid that we should choose something from literature and unfairly disenfranchise the unlettered!
          – tchrist♦
          14 hours ago







        • 3




          Do I detect a hint of sarcasm there? :-) I assume that when people are looking for the "perfect" word, it is to use it in communication. A word that is spot-on in meaning, but that almost nobody has ever heard of, isn't very useful for communicating. Forget the 500 most frequently used words by 4 yo's. This one is more in the realm of being hard to find anyone who knows what it means. And if you found all the people who knew and put them in a room for a month, none of them would ever utter it, even if they were discussing what souvenirs to take home from the gathering.
          – fixer1234
          13 hours ago






        • 3




          +1 This is the kind of word that could easily turn up on one of those "10 obscure words you can use right now" type lists that will then suddenly start popping up in cartoons and crossword puzzles and become a lot of folks' favorite new-old word (like aglet).
          – 1006a
          10 hours ago













        • 9




          This not only isn't a word in common use, the vast majority of people would need to look up its definition if they ever heard it. Just sayin'.
          – fixer1234
          15 hours ago






        • 7




          @fixer1234 And chances are they wouldn't find it, as most of the common online dictionaries don't even list the word, though it's found on Wiktionary, and Urban Dictionary. A lot of Tolkien geeks seem to know the word. I still don't get the OP's question. Memento and keepsake (his words) seem to fit.
          – Zebrafish
          15 hours ago






        • 2




          @fixer1234 You’re right: I completely missed the part of the question that said to find a word that everybody knows, or that only people who don’t read know. Isn’t that what all Single Word Requests are, just picking your favorite word from the English Top Five Hundred Most Frequently Used Words by Four-Year-Olds? Heaven forbid that we should choose something from literature and unfairly disenfranchise the unlettered!
          – tchrist♦
          14 hours ago







        • 3




          Do I detect a hint of sarcasm there? :-) I assume that when people are looking for the "perfect" word, it is to use it in communication. A word that is spot-on in meaning, but that almost nobody has ever heard of, isn't very useful for communicating. Forget the 500 most frequently used words by 4 yo's. This one is more in the realm of being hard to find anyone who knows what it means. And if you found all the people who knew and put them in a room for a month, none of them would ever utter it, even if they were discussing what souvenirs to take home from the gathering.
          – fixer1234
          13 hours ago






        • 3




          +1 This is the kind of word that could easily turn up on one of those "10 obscure words you can use right now" type lists that will then suddenly start popping up in cartoons and crossword puzzles and become a lot of folks' favorite new-old word (like aglet).
          – 1006a
          10 hours ago








        9




        9




        This not only isn't a word in common use, the vast majority of people would need to look up its definition if they ever heard it. Just sayin'.
        – fixer1234
        15 hours ago




        This not only isn't a word in common use, the vast majority of people would need to look up its definition if they ever heard it. Just sayin'.
        – fixer1234
        15 hours ago




        7




        7




        @fixer1234 And chances are they wouldn't find it, as most of the common online dictionaries don't even list the word, though it's found on Wiktionary, and Urban Dictionary. A lot of Tolkien geeks seem to know the word. I still don't get the OP's question. Memento and keepsake (his words) seem to fit.
        – Zebrafish
        15 hours ago




        @fixer1234 And chances are they wouldn't find it, as most of the common online dictionaries don't even list the word, though it's found on Wiktionary, and Urban Dictionary. A lot of Tolkien geeks seem to know the word. I still don't get the OP's question. Memento and keepsake (his words) seem to fit.
        – Zebrafish
        15 hours ago




        2




        2




        @fixer1234 You’re right: I completely missed the part of the question that said to find a word that everybody knows, or that only people who don’t read know. Isn’t that what all Single Word Requests are, just picking your favorite word from the English Top Five Hundred Most Frequently Used Words by Four-Year-Olds? Heaven forbid that we should choose something from literature and unfairly disenfranchise the unlettered!
        – tchrist♦
        14 hours ago





        @fixer1234 You’re right: I completely missed the part of the question that said to find a word that everybody knows, or that only people who don’t read know. Isn’t that what all Single Word Requests are, just picking your favorite word from the English Top Five Hundred Most Frequently Used Words by Four-Year-Olds? Heaven forbid that we should choose something from literature and unfairly disenfranchise the unlettered!
        – tchrist♦
        14 hours ago





        3




        3




        Do I detect a hint of sarcasm there? :-) I assume that when people are looking for the "perfect" word, it is to use it in communication. A word that is spot-on in meaning, but that almost nobody has ever heard of, isn't very useful for communicating. Forget the 500 most frequently used words by 4 yo's. This one is more in the realm of being hard to find anyone who knows what it means. And if you found all the people who knew and put them in a room for a month, none of them would ever utter it, even if they were discussing what souvenirs to take home from the gathering.
        – fixer1234
        13 hours ago




        Do I detect a hint of sarcasm there? :-) I assume that when people are looking for the "perfect" word, it is to use it in communication. A word that is spot-on in meaning, but that almost nobody has ever heard of, isn't very useful for communicating. Forget the 500 most frequently used words by 4 yo's. This one is more in the realm of being hard to find anyone who knows what it means. And if you found all the people who knew and put them in a room for a month, none of them would ever utter it, even if they were discussing what souvenirs to take home from the gathering.
        – fixer1234
        13 hours ago




        3




        3




        +1 This is the kind of word that could easily turn up on one of those "10 obscure words you can use right now" type lists that will then suddenly start popping up in cartoons and crossword puzzles and become a lot of folks' favorite new-old word (like aglet).
        – 1006a
        10 hours ago





        +1 This is the kind of word that could easily turn up on one of those "10 obscure words you can use right now" type lists that will then suddenly start popping up in cartoons and crossword puzzles and become a lot of folks' favorite new-old word (like aglet).
        – 1006a
        10 hours ago













        up vote
        10
        down vote













        Souvenir:




        [Merriam-Webster]



        : something that serves as a reminder



        When I went to the Super Bowl, I kept my ticket stub as a souvenir.

        kept their love letters as souvenirs of their courtship




        An old laptop (assuming it's not just junk) is a souvenir of an earlier time. Especially if it serves no other purpose than to exemplify how things used to be and remind you of them. (It's similar to keeping a typewriter or an 8-track tape.)






        share|improve this answer



















        • 2




          I'm not sure you would refer to an old laptop as a souvenir
          – Alexander51413
          16 hours ago






        • 1




          @Alexander51413 What else would it be if not just junk? (I mean, why keep it otherwise?)
          – Jason Bassford
          16 hours ago






        • 2




          I'm inclined to agree with Alexander. Souvenir is often associated with journeys; as can be seen from the first example.
          – MSalters
          4 hours ago






        • 1




          @MSalters I would even go as far as saying that souvenirs are always associated with journeys. It is something you bring back from somewhere, like a fridge magnet from your holiday.
          – Ian
          3 hours ago










        • @Alexander51413: Souvenir is often referred to as something you take from a place (e.g. holiday destination), but its primary definition fits equally well for something you keep from the past (e.g. childhood). In either case, its primary purpose is to remind you of where(/when) you got it from and its signficance to you.
          – Flater
          1 hour ago















        up vote
        10
        down vote













        Souvenir:




        [Merriam-Webster]



        : something that serves as a reminder



        When I went to the Super Bowl, I kept my ticket stub as a souvenir.

        kept their love letters as souvenirs of their courtship




        An old laptop (assuming it's not just junk) is a souvenir of an earlier time. Especially if it serves no other purpose than to exemplify how things used to be and remind you of them. (It's similar to keeping a typewriter or an 8-track tape.)






        share|improve this answer



















        • 2




          I'm not sure you would refer to an old laptop as a souvenir
          – Alexander51413
          16 hours ago






        • 1




          @Alexander51413 What else would it be if not just junk? (I mean, why keep it otherwise?)
          – Jason Bassford
          16 hours ago






        • 2




          I'm inclined to agree with Alexander. Souvenir is often associated with journeys; as can be seen from the first example.
          – MSalters
          4 hours ago






        • 1




          @MSalters I would even go as far as saying that souvenirs are always associated with journeys. It is something you bring back from somewhere, like a fridge magnet from your holiday.
          – Ian
          3 hours ago










        • @Alexander51413: Souvenir is often referred to as something you take from a place (e.g. holiday destination), but its primary definition fits equally well for something you keep from the past (e.g. childhood). In either case, its primary purpose is to remind you of where(/when) you got it from and its signficance to you.
          – Flater
          1 hour ago













        up vote
        10
        down vote










        up vote
        10
        down vote









        Souvenir:




        [Merriam-Webster]



        : something that serves as a reminder



        When I went to the Super Bowl, I kept my ticket stub as a souvenir.

        kept their love letters as souvenirs of their courtship




        An old laptop (assuming it's not just junk) is a souvenir of an earlier time. Especially if it serves no other purpose than to exemplify how things used to be and remind you of them. (It's similar to keeping a typewriter or an 8-track tape.)






        share|improve this answer















        Souvenir:




        [Merriam-Webster]



        : something that serves as a reminder



        When I went to the Super Bowl, I kept my ticket stub as a souvenir.

        kept their love letters as souvenirs of their courtship




        An old laptop (assuming it's not just junk) is a souvenir of an earlier time. Especially if it serves no other purpose than to exemplify how things used to be and remind you of them. (It's similar to keeping a typewriter or an 8-track tape.)







        share|improve this answer















        share|improve this answer



        share|improve this answer








        edited 4 hours ago









        V2Blast

        1055




        1055











        answered 17 hours ago









        Jason Bassford

        8,5271829




        8,5271829







        • 2




          I'm not sure you would refer to an old laptop as a souvenir
          – Alexander51413
          16 hours ago






        • 1




          @Alexander51413 What else would it be if not just junk? (I mean, why keep it otherwise?)
          – Jason Bassford
          16 hours ago






        • 2




          I'm inclined to agree with Alexander. Souvenir is often associated with journeys; as can be seen from the first example.
          – MSalters
          4 hours ago






        • 1




          @MSalters I would even go as far as saying that souvenirs are always associated with journeys. It is something you bring back from somewhere, like a fridge magnet from your holiday.
          – Ian
          3 hours ago










        • @Alexander51413: Souvenir is often referred to as something you take from a place (e.g. holiday destination), but its primary definition fits equally well for something you keep from the past (e.g. childhood). In either case, its primary purpose is to remind you of where(/when) you got it from and its signficance to you.
          – Flater
          1 hour ago













        • 2




          I'm not sure you would refer to an old laptop as a souvenir
          – Alexander51413
          16 hours ago






        • 1




          @Alexander51413 What else would it be if not just junk? (I mean, why keep it otherwise?)
          – Jason Bassford
          16 hours ago






        • 2




          I'm inclined to agree with Alexander. Souvenir is often associated with journeys; as can be seen from the first example.
          – MSalters
          4 hours ago






        • 1




          @MSalters I would even go as far as saying that souvenirs are always associated with journeys. It is something you bring back from somewhere, like a fridge magnet from your holiday.
          – Ian
          3 hours ago










        • @Alexander51413: Souvenir is often referred to as something you take from a place (e.g. holiday destination), but its primary definition fits equally well for something you keep from the past (e.g. childhood). In either case, its primary purpose is to remind you of where(/when) you got it from and its signficance to you.
          – Flater
          1 hour ago








        2




        2




        I'm not sure you would refer to an old laptop as a souvenir
        – Alexander51413
        16 hours ago




        I'm not sure you would refer to an old laptop as a souvenir
        – Alexander51413
        16 hours ago




        1




        1




        @Alexander51413 What else would it be if not just junk? (I mean, why keep it otherwise?)
        – Jason Bassford
        16 hours ago




        @Alexander51413 What else would it be if not just junk? (I mean, why keep it otherwise?)
        – Jason Bassford
        16 hours ago




        2




        2




        I'm inclined to agree with Alexander. Souvenir is often associated with journeys; as can be seen from the first example.
        – MSalters
        4 hours ago




        I'm inclined to agree with Alexander. Souvenir is often associated with journeys; as can be seen from the first example.
        – MSalters
        4 hours ago




        1




        1




        @MSalters I would even go as far as saying that souvenirs are always associated with journeys. It is something you bring back from somewhere, like a fridge magnet from your holiday.
        – Ian
        3 hours ago




        @MSalters I would even go as far as saying that souvenirs are always associated with journeys. It is something you bring back from somewhere, like a fridge magnet from your holiday.
        – Ian
        3 hours ago












        @Alexander51413: Souvenir is often referred to as something you take from a place (e.g. holiday destination), but its primary definition fits equally well for something you keep from the past (e.g. childhood). In either case, its primary purpose is to remind you of where(/when) you got it from and its signficance to you.
        – Flater
        1 hour ago





        @Alexander51413: Souvenir is often referred to as something you take from a place (e.g. holiday destination), but its primary definition fits equally well for something you keep from the past (e.g. childhood). In either case, its primary purpose is to remind you of where(/when) you got it from and its signficance to you.
        – Flater
        1 hour ago











        up vote
        7
        down vote













        How about memorabilia:




        1 : things that are remarkable and worthy of remembrance: a wealth of early railroad memorabilia



        2 : things that stir recollection or are valued or collected for their association with a particular field or interest: mementos baseball memorabilia



        (merriam-webster)







        1 [treated as singular or plural] Objects kept or collected because of their associations with memorable people or events.



        ‘sixties memorabilia’



        (oxforddictionaries)







        share|improve this answer

























          up vote
          7
          down vote













          How about memorabilia:




          1 : things that are remarkable and worthy of remembrance: a wealth of early railroad memorabilia



          2 : things that stir recollection or are valued or collected for their association with a particular field or interest: mementos baseball memorabilia



          (merriam-webster)







          1 [treated as singular or plural] Objects kept or collected because of their associations with memorable people or events.



          ‘sixties memorabilia’



          (oxforddictionaries)







          share|improve this answer























            up vote
            7
            down vote










            up vote
            7
            down vote









            How about memorabilia:




            1 : things that are remarkable and worthy of remembrance: a wealth of early railroad memorabilia



            2 : things that stir recollection or are valued or collected for their association with a particular field or interest: mementos baseball memorabilia



            (merriam-webster)







            1 [treated as singular or plural] Objects kept or collected because of their associations with memorable people or events.



            ‘sixties memorabilia’



            (oxforddictionaries)







            share|improve this answer













            How about memorabilia:




            1 : things that are remarkable and worthy of remembrance: a wealth of early railroad memorabilia



            2 : things that stir recollection or are valued or collected for their association with a particular field or interest: mementos baseball memorabilia



            (merriam-webster)







            1 [treated as singular or plural] Objects kept or collected because of their associations with memorable people or events.



            ‘sixties memorabilia’



            (oxforddictionaries)








            share|improve this answer













            share|improve this answer



            share|improve this answer











            answered 6 hours ago









            Ian

            1836




            1836




















                up vote
                3
                down vote













                A relic is "a surviving memorial of something past", which seems just about perfect for your purpose.

                To be sure, the most common association is with the relics of saints - fragments of the True Cross, or the bones of St. Mark - but relics are not necessarily religious. (Despite the similarity of spelling, "relic" and "religion" are derived from different Latin roots.)



                Historical artifacts, outmoded ideas, and even retired persons are often called "relics", so there's no reason your old laptop can't be one too.






                share|improve this answer





















                • "Relic" refers to something ancient. It's used to refer to something from recent times only in a sarcastic way, a humorous comparison to it being ancient.
                  – fixer1234
                  15 hours ago






                • 1




                  @fixer1234 Citation, please? Fox News: "Socialist candidate Ocasio-Cortez once saw herself as Smithian capitalist, viewed feminism as 'relic'" USA Today: "St. Louis volunteers preserve Trans World Airlines relic" TheStreet.com "Who Could Win Big Now That Toys 'R' Us Is a Relic of the Past?" None of these are sarcastic or humorous, I would say.
                  – MT_Head
                  15 hours ago










                • I label those sarcastic, maybe I should include exaggeration. Those citations are meant to imply that the subject in question is ancient (exaggeration of out-of-date).
                  – fixer1234
                  13 hours ago










                • @fixer1234 I'm glad to hear you citing an authority.
                  – MT_Head
                  12 hours ago






                • 1




                  @fixer1234 I was referring to your own authority: "I label those sarcastic". I bow to it.
                  – MT_Head
                  11 hours ago














                up vote
                3
                down vote













                A relic is "a surviving memorial of something past", which seems just about perfect for your purpose.

                To be sure, the most common association is with the relics of saints - fragments of the True Cross, or the bones of St. Mark - but relics are not necessarily religious. (Despite the similarity of spelling, "relic" and "religion" are derived from different Latin roots.)



                Historical artifacts, outmoded ideas, and even retired persons are often called "relics", so there's no reason your old laptop can't be one too.






                share|improve this answer





















                • "Relic" refers to something ancient. It's used to refer to something from recent times only in a sarcastic way, a humorous comparison to it being ancient.
                  – fixer1234
                  15 hours ago






                • 1




                  @fixer1234 Citation, please? Fox News: "Socialist candidate Ocasio-Cortez once saw herself as Smithian capitalist, viewed feminism as 'relic'" USA Today: "St. Louis volunteers preserve Trans World Airlines relic" TheStreet.com "Who Could Win Big Now That Toys 'R' Us Is a Relic of the Past?" None of these are sarcastic or humorous, I would say.
                  – MT_Head
                  15 hours ago










                • I label those sarcastic, maybe I should include exaggeration. Those citations are meant to imply that the subject in question is ancient (exaggeration of out-of-date).
                  – fixer1234
                  13 hours ago










                • @fixer1234 I'm glad to hear you citing an authority.
                  – MT_Head
                  12 hours ago






                • 1




                  @fixer1234 I was referring to your own authority: "I label those sarcastic". I bow to it.
                  – MT_Head
                  11 hours ago












                up vote
                3
                down vote










                up vote
                3
                down vote









                A relic is "a surviving memorial of something past", which seems just about perfect for your purpose.

                To be sure, the most common association is with the relics of saints - fragments of the True Cross, or the bones of St. Mark - but relics are not necessarily religious. (Despite the similarity of spelling, "relic" and "religion" are derived from different Latin roots.)



                Historical artifacts, outmoded ideas, and even retired persons are often called "relics", so there's no reason your old laptop can't be one too.






                share|improve this answer













                A relic is "a surviving memorial of something past", which seems just about perfect for your purpose.

                To be sure, the most common association is with the relics of saints - fragments of the True Cross, or the bones of St. Mark - but relics are not necessarily religious. (Despite the similarity of spelling, "relic" and "religion" are derived from different Latin roots.)



                Historical artifacts, outmoded ideas, and even retired persons are often called "relics", so there's no reason your old laptop can't be one too.







                share|improve this answer













                share|improve this answer



                share|improve this answer











                answered 17 hours ago









                MT_Head

                14k13653




                14k13653











                • "Relic" refers to something ancient. It's used to refer to something from recent times only in a sarcastic way, a humorous comparison to it being ancient.
                  – fixer1234
                  15 hours ago






                • 1




                  @fixer1234 Citation, please? Fox News: "Socialist candidate Ocasio-Cortez once saw herself as Smithian capitalist, viewed feminism as 'relic'" USA Today: "St. Louis volunteers preserve Trans World Airlines relic" TheStreet.com "Who Could Win Big Now That Toys 'R' Us Is a Relic of the Past?" None of these are sarcastic or humorous, I would say.
                  – MT_Head
                  15 hours ago










                • I label those sarcastic, maybe I should include exaggeration. Those citations are meant to imply that the subject in question is ancient (exaggeration of out-of-date).
                  – fixer1234
                  13 hours ago










                • @fixer1234 I'm glad to hear you citing an authority.
                  – MT_Head
                  12 hours ago






                • 1




                  @fixer1234 I was referring to your own authority: "I label those sarcastic". I bow to it.
                  – MT_Head
                  11 hours ago
















                • "Relic" refers to something ancient. It's used to refer to something from recent times only in a sarcastic way, a humorous comparison to it being ancient.
                  – fixer1234
                  15 hours ago






                • 1




                  @fixer1234 Citation, please? Fox News: "Socialist candidate Ocasio-Cortez once saw herself as Smithian capitalist, viewed feminism as 'relic'" USA Today: "St. Louis volunteers preserve Trans World Airlines relic" TheStreet.com "Who Could Win Big Now That Toys 'R' Us Is a Relic of the Past?" None of these are sarcastic or humorous, I would say.
                  – MT_Head
                  15 hours ago










                • I label those sarcastic, maybe I should include exaggeration. Those citations are meant to imply that the subject in question is ancient (exaggeration of out-of-date).
                  – fixer1234
                  13 hours ago










                • @fixer1234 I'm glad to hear you citing an authority.
                  – MT_Head
                  12 hours ago






                • 1




                  @fixer1234 I was referring to your own authority: "I label those sarcastic". I bow to it.
                  – MT_Head
                  11 hours ago















                "Relic" refers to something ancient. It's used to refer to something from recent times only in a sarcastic way, a humorous comparison to it being ancient.
                – fixer1234
                15 hours ago




                "Relic" refers to something ancient. It's used to refer to something from recent times only in a sarcastic way, a humorous comparison to it being ancient.
                – fixer1234
                15 hours ago




                1




                1




                @fixer1234 Citation, please? Fox News: "Socialist candidate Ocasio-Cortez once saw herself as Smithian capitalist, viewed feminism as 'relic'" USA Today: "St. Louis volunteers preserve Trans World Airlines relic" TheStreet.com "Who Could Win Big Now That Toys 'R' Us Is a Relic of the Past?" None of these are sarcastic or humorous, I would say.
                – MT_Head
                15 hours ago




                @fixer1234 Citation, please? Fox News: "Socialist candidate Ocasio-Cortez once saw herself as Smithian capitalist, viewed feminism as 'relic'" USA Today: "St. Louis volunteers preserve Trans World Airlines relic" TheStreet.com "Who Could Win Big Now That Toys 'R' Us Is a Relic of the Past?" None of these are sarcastic or humorous, I would say.
                – MT_Head
                15 hours ago












                I label those sarcastic, maybe I should include exaggeration. Those citations are meant to imply that the subject in question is ancient (exaggeration of out-of-date).
                – fixer1234
                13 hours ago




                I label those sarcastic, maybe I should include exaggeration. Those citations are meant to imply that the subject in question is ancient (exaggeration of out-of-date).
                – fixer1234
                13 hours ago












                @fixer1234 I'm glad to hear you citing an authority.
                – MT_Head
                12 hours ago




                @fixer1234 I'm glad to hear you citing an authority.
                – MT_Head
                12 hours ago




                1




                1




                @fixer1234 I was referring to your own authority: "I label those sarcastic". I bow to it.
                – MT_Head
                11 hours ago




                @fixer1234 I was referring to your own authority: "I label those sarcastic". I bow to it.
                – MT_Head
                11 hours ago










                up vote
                3
                down vote













                token TFD




                1. a symbol or visible representation of something



                As in:



                He is also planning to bring them some reminders from their past, although his office did not say what those tokens would be.






                share|improve this answer

























                  up vote
                  3
                  down vote













                  token TFD




                  1. a symbol or visible representation of something



                  As in:



                  He is also planning to bring them some reminders from their past, although his office did not say what those tokens would be.






                  share|improve this answer























                    up vote
                    3
                    down vote










                    up vote
                    3
                    down vote









                    token TFD




                    1. a symbol or visible representation of something



                    As in:



                    He is also planning to bring them some reminders from their past, although his office did not say what those tokens would be.






                    share|improve this answer













                    token TFD




                    1. a symbol or visible representation of something



                    As in:



                    He is also planning to bring them some reminders from their past, although his office did not say what those tokens would be.







                    share|improve this answer













                    share|improve this answer



                    share|improve this answer











                    answered 15 hours ago









                    lbf

                    11k21149




                    11k21149




















                        up vote
                        1
                        down vote













                        How about 'antique'? People often keep these for ornamental purposes long after they have stopped using them.






                        share|improve this answer

























                          up vote
                          1
                          down vote













                          How about 'antique'? People often keep these for ornamental purposes long after they have stopped using them.






                          share|improve this answer























                            up vote
                            1
                            down vote










                            up vote
                            1
                            down vote









                            How about 'antique'? People often keep these for ornamental purposes long after they have stopped using them.






                            share|improve this answer













                            How about 'antique'? People often keep these for ornamental purposes long after they have stopped using them.







                            share|improve this answer













                            share|improve this answer



                            share|improve this answer











                            answered 4 hours ago









                            user3490

                            58424




                            58424




















                                up vote
                                1
                                down vote













                                Vestigial



                                Adjective, but a noun in Biology




                                1. forming a very small remnant of something that was once greater or more noticeable. "he felt a vestigial flicker of anger from last
                                  night" synonyms: remaining, surviving, residual, leftover, lingering;
                                  More persisting, abiding, lasting, enduring "he feels a vestigial
                                  flicker of anger from last night"

                                2. Biology (of an organ or part of the body) degenerate, rudimentary, or atrophied, having become functionless in the course of evolution.
                                  "the vestigial wings of kiwis are entirely hidden"






                                share|improve this answer



















                                • 1




                                  Hi Mark, I think your answer would be much better if you provided the source! You can refer to the help section if you need more information.
                                  – Ian
                                  3 hours ago










                                • Mark, it's also important to understand that if your block quote is indeed from another source (i.e. not your own words) and you fail to cite the source, not only are you likely to get downvoted, you risk more serious sanctions for plagiarism.
                                  – Chappo
                                  2 hours ago










                                • Biologist here. I've never heard "vestigal" as a noun. "Vestige" is the noun form (but not so commonly used in biology).
                                  – brendan
                                  40 mins ago










                                • Right you are Brendan, thanks.
                                  – Mark
                                  27 mins ago














                                up vote
                                1
                                down vote













                                Vestigial



                                Adjective, but a noun in Biology




                                1. forming a very small remnant of something that was once greater or more noticeable. "he felt a vestigial flicker of anger from last
                                  night" synonyms: remaining, surviving, residual, leftover, lingering;
                                  More persisting, abiding, lasting, enduring "he feels a vestigial
                                  flicker of anger from last night"

                                2. Biology (of an organ or part of the body) degenerate, rudimentary, or atrophied, having become functionless in the course of evolution.
                                  "the vestigial wings of kiwis are entirely hidden"






                                share|improve this answer



















                                • 1




                                  Hi Mark, I think your answer would be much better if you provided the source! You can refer to the help section if you need more information.
                                  – Ian
                                  3 hours ago










                                • Mark, it's also important to understand that if your block quote is indeed from another source (i.e. not your own words) and you fail to cite the source, not only are you likely to get downvoted, you risk more serious sanctions for plagiarism.
                                  – Chappo
                                  2 hours ago










                                • Biologist here. I've never heard "vestigal" as a noun. "Vestige" is the noun form (but not so commonly used in biology).
                                  – brendan
                                  40 mins ago










                                • Right you are Brendan, thanks.
                                  – Mark
                                  27 mins ago












                                up vote
                                1
                                down vote










                                up vote
                                1
                                down vote









                                Vestigial



                                Adjective, but a noun in Biology




                                1. forming a very small remnant of something that was once greater or more noticeable. "he felt a vestigial flicker of anger from last
                                  night" synonyms: remaining, surviving, residual, leftover, lingering;
                                  More persisting, abiding, lasting, enduring "he feels a vestigial
                                  flicker of anger from last night"

                                2. Biology (of an organ or part of the body) degenerate, rudimentary, or atrophied, having become functionless in the course of evolution.
                                  "the vestigial wings of kiwis are entirely hidden"






                                share|improve this answer















                                Vestigial



                                Adjective, but a noun in Biology




                                1. forming a very small remnant of something that was once greater or more noticeable. "he felt a vestigial flicker of anger from last
                                  night" synonyms: remaining, surviving, residual, leftover, lingering;
                                  More persisting, abiding, lasting, enduring "he feels a vestigial
                                  flicker of anger from last night"

                                2. Biology (of an organ or part of the body) degenerate, rudimentary, or atrophied, having become functionless in the course of evolution.
                                  "the vestigial wings of kiwis are entirely hidden"







                                share|improve this answer















                                share|improve this answer



                                share|improve this answer








                                edited 2 hours ago









                                Ian

                                1836




                                1836











                                answered 3 hours ago









                                Mark

                                111




                                111







                                • 1




                                  Hi Mark, I think your answer would be much better if you provided the source! You can refer to the help section if you need more information.
                                  – Ian
                                  3 hours ago










                                • Mark, it's also important to understand that if your block quote is indeed from another source (i.e. not your own words) and you fail to cite the source, not only are you likely to get downvoted, you risk more serious sanctions for plagiarism.
                                  – Chappo
                                  2 hours ago










                                • Biologist here. I've never heard "vestigal" as a noun. "Vestige" is the noun form (but not so commonly used in biology).
                                  – brendan
                                  40 mins ago










                                • Right you are Brendan, thanks.
                                  – Mark
                                  27 mins ago












                                • 1




                                  Hi Mark, I think your answer would be much better if you provided the source! You can refer to the help section if you need more information.
                                  – Ian
                                  3 hours ago










                                • Mark, it's also important to understand that if your block quote is indeed from another source (i.e. not your own words) and you fail to cite the source, not only are you likely to get downvoted, you risk more serious sanctions for plagiarism.
                                  – Chappo
                                  2 hours ago










                                • Biologist here. I've never heard "vestigal" as a noun. "Vestige" is the noun form (but not so commonly used in biology).
                                  – brendan
                                  40 mins ago










                                • Right you are Brendan, thanks.
                                  – Mark
                                  27 mins ago







                                1




                                1




                                Hi Mark, I think your answer would be much better if you provided the source! You can refer to the help section if you need more information.
                                – Ian
                                3 hours ago




                                Hi Mark, I think your answer would be much better if you provided the source! You can refer to the help section if you need more information.
                                – Ian
                                3 hours ago












                                Mark, it's also important to understand that if your block quote is indeed from another source (i.e. not your own words) and you fail to cite the source, not only are you likely to get downvoted, you risk more serious sanctions for plagiarism.
                                – Chappo
                                2 hours ago




                                Mark, it's also important to understand that if your block quote is indeed from another source (i.e. not your own words) and you fail to cite the source, not only are you likely to get downvoted, you risk more serious sanctions for plagiarism.
                                – Chappo
                                2 hours ago












                                Biologist here. I've never heard "vestigal" as a noun. "Vestige" is the noun form (but not so commonly used in biology).
                                – brendan
                                40 mins ago




                                Biologist here. I've never heard "vestigal" as a noun. "Vestige" is the noun form (but not so commonly used in biology).
                                – brendan
                                40 mins ago












                                Right you are Brendan, thanks.
                                – Mark
                                27 mins ago




                                Right you are Brendan, thanks.
                                – Mark
                                27 mins ago












                                 

                                draft saved


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                                draft saved


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                                StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2fenglish.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f458932%2fis-there-a-word-for-an-object-that-is-no-longer-kept-for-its-original-purpose-bu%23new-answer', 'question_page');

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