Literary notes about Peculiar (AI summary)
In literature, "peculiar" functions as a precise descriptor that highlights attributes or phenomena which distinctly set a person, object, or idea apart from the ordinary. It is employed to stress singular qualities—be they a unique intellectual marvel [1] or the idiosyncratic behaviors and customs inherent in diverse cultures [2]—thus, inviting readers to notice nuances that otherwise might escape their attention. Authors use the term to simultaneously evoke an air of mystery and emphasize specificity, as seen when it underlines the extraordinary beauty of natural forms [3] or characterizes unusual emotional expressions [4]. Moreover, "peculiar" is not confined merely to sensory impressions; it often marks distinctive logical or philosophical traits in discourse, as demonstrated in contemplations of freedom or rationality [5, 6]. Overall, its flexible use enriches narrative detail by casting light on elements that are singularly memorable, whether in natural, social, or abstract realms.
- It stands to-day as the most suggestive monument of his peculiar genius.
— from English Literature by William J. Long - One peculiar custom in this caste is that two or more brothers may have one wife in common.
— from Castes and Tribes of Southern India. Vol. 7 of 7 by Edgar Thurston - Though I had seen swallows all my life, seem'd as though I never before realized their peculiar beauty and character in the landscape.
— from Complete Prose Works by Walt Whitman - At the same time my forehead seemed bathed in a clammy vapor, and the peculiar smell of decayed fungus arose to my nostrils.
— from The Works of Edgar Allan Poe — Volume 2 by Edgar Allan Poe - Reason legislates a priori for freedom and its peculiar casuality; as the supersensible in the subject, for an unconditioned practical knowledge.
— from Kant's Critique of Judgement by Immanuel Kant - At another time, they define the good in a peculiar manner, as being what is perfect according to the nature of a rational being as rational being.
— from The Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers by Diogenes Laertius
