wordhoard

Wordhoard, also written word-hoard, is a literary term referring to a person’s store of words—their vocabulary or lexical repertoire. In criticism and stylistics, the concept highlights the range and texture of diction available to a speaker or writer, and how word choice shapes imagery, tone, and nuance.

Origin and meaning: The term combines word with hoard, a metaphorical treasure or stock. It emphasizes vocabulary as a resource that a writer can draw upon to craft voice and effect, rather than a fixed set of rules.

Scope and usage: Wordhoard can denote the vocabulary of a language as a whole or that of an individual author, character, or speaker. It is often invoked in discussions of stylistic richness, expressive variety, and the dynamics between common and rare or specialized terms.

Notable usage: The phrase is commonly associated with discussions of poetry and style in literary criticism and is linked to J. R. R. Tolkien, who described the poet’s word-hoard as the collection of words at the writer’s disposal—encompassing archaic terms, compounds, and neologisms—through which mood and texture are created. Since then, critics have used the concept to analyze how vocabulary choices contribute to voice and character.

See also: Lexicon, Vocabulary, Diction, Style, Lexicography.