the.com/collection
The socially acceptable word for hoarding, as long as it's shelved nicely.
means A group of things gathered and kept together because someone decided they belonged as a set.
from From Latin collectio, built from com- ('together') plus legere ('to gather, to pick out, to read'). That same legere gives you 'elect,' 'select,' and 'legible' — all about choosing or picking through. So a collection was always implicitly curated: not just stuff piled up, but stuff *chosen*, which is exactly the loophole hoarders have been quietly exploiting ever since.
- legal fiction
- Insurance treats collections differently from mere possessions.
- magic number
- Psychologists peg three similar items as the tipping point into collection.
- museum origin
- Modern museums descend from private cabinets of curiosities.
- same root
- Elect, intelligent, and collection all share Latin legere.