paradoxography means A type of classical literature dealing with the occurrence of abnormal or inexplicable phenomena of the natural or human world. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 87 out of 100.
Why this word is great
PARADOXOGRAPHY — [Noun] A genre of classical literature that records and describes abnormal or inexplicable phenomena in the natural or human world. From Greek παράδοξος (parádoxos, "contrary to expectation, incredible") + -γραφία (-graphía, "writing, description"). Unlike "mythography" (which organizes legends into systems) or "natural history" (which seeks rules for the ordinary), paradoxography lingers on the uncategorized: the river that flows backward, the sheep born with human hands, the island that drifts like a ship. It is the scribe’s ledger of marvels, the ancient equivalent of a cabinet of curiosities—where every entry whispers that the world is stranger than we dare believe, and that belief itself is a fragile thing.
noun
- A type of classical literature dealing with the occurrence of abnormal or inexplicable phenomena of the natural or human world.