Quiddity vs Peculiarity - What's the difference?
quiddity | peculiarity |
(philosophy) The essence or inherent nature of a person or thing.
* 1822 , October, (Charles Lamb), The Old Actors'', published in ''London Magazine , section on “Mr. Munden” (
* 1962 , (Vladimir Nabokov), Pale Fire :
* 1978 , (Lawrence Durrell), Livia'', Faber & Faber 1992 (''Avignon Quintet ), p. 352:
(legal) A trifle; a nicety or quibble.
An eccentricity; an odd feature.
The quality or state of being peculiar; individuality; singularity.
That which is peculiar; a special and distinctive characteristic or habit; particularity.
* 1853 , , Villette , Chapter 4:
Exclusive possession or right.
As nouns the difference between quiddity and peculiarity
is that quiddity is (philosophy) the essence or inherent nature of a person or thing while peculiarity is the quality or state of being peculiar; individuality; singularity.quiddity
English
(wikipedia quiddity)Noun
(quiddities)ebook):
- A tub of butter, contemplated by him, amounts to a Platonic idea. He understands a leg of mutton in its quiddity . He stands wondering, amid the commonplace materials of life, like primæval man, with the sun and stars about him.
- My vision reeked with truth. It had the tone,
- The quiddity and quaintness of its own
- Reality.
- He represented my quiddity I suppose – the part which, thanks to you, has converted a black pessimism about life into a belief in cosmic absurdity.
Synonyms
* (essence) nature, quintessence, whatnessDerived terms
* quidditativeCoordinate terms
* (essence) qualitySee also
*peculiarity
English
Noun
(peculiarities)- I had often heard of Miss Marchmont, and of her peculiarities (she had the character of being very eccentric), but till now had never seen her.