Weekly Word: Antiquarian

My mom’s an antiquarian (or an antiquary): “One who studies, collects, or deals in antiquities.” She sells antiques for a living, specializing in vintage purses. But this guy proves that collecting antiques can be a very manly hobby, too:

An antiquarian with his antiques An antiquarian with a penchant for weaponry. Photo by Petteri Sulonen.

The word antiquarian has a more specific meaning as well, though. As an adjective, it not only means “relating to antiques”, but also “dealing in or having to do with old or rare books” – as in the Antiquarian book trade. That’s one thing I definitely know nothing about; I’m more of a pack rat than an antiquarian.