mathom

/ˈmæðəm/

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Old English māþum (“treasure, object of value, jewel, ornament, gift”), from Proto-Germanic *maiþmaz (“present, gift”); introduced by J. R. R. Tolkien in The Lord of the Rings with the conceit that it was a translation of his invented language Adûni's kast, a word used by Hobbits as a generic name for items which they were unwilling to throw away, but for which they had no use.

mathom means A trinket or piece of bric-a-brac; a knick-knack, often used in regifting. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 87 out of 100.

mathom is pronounced /ˈmæðəm/.

Why “mathom” is a great word

MATHOM — [Noun] An object kept or circulated out of habit or obligation, having no practical use but not quite deemed worthless. From Old English māþum ("treasure, object of value, gift"), from Proto-Germanic *maiðmaz ("present, gift"); revived and semantically shifted by J. R. R. Tolkien in the 20th century. Unlike "treasure," which implies significant, often monetary value, or "keepsake," which suggests a cherished personal memento, a mathom is a token of negligible worth, preserved by inertia. It is the ceramic frog from a forgotten aunt, the drawer of obsolete chargers, and the ugly candlestick perpetually circulating at white elephant parties—the quiet archaeology of our accumulative impulses, proving that not all gifts are given, some are merely passed along.

noun

A trinket or piece of bric-a-brac; a knick-knack, often used in regifting.“When the door of the mathom shop is closed and the Inhabitant leaves the print of his footsteps for a moment on the wooden stair, things pause. There is no movement, not even of time. The mathoms listen until, downstairs, carpets and rugs swallow the noises of living, [...]”