Archaic KJV Word
Peculiar
Modern equivalent: special
What Was Lost
The covenantal ownership dimension -- God's peculiar people were His private property, purchased and possessed. The word carried the legal weight of a deed of ownership, not mere fondness. When 'peculiar' became 'odd,' a foundational covenant concept lost its vocabulary.
Closest Survivor in Modern English
treasured possession (used in ESV, but takes three words to approximate one)
Peak Usage (1611)
KJV 1 Peter 2:9 -- 'A peculiar people' (also Deuteronomy 14:2, Titus 2:14)
Died ~1850
Shifted from 'one's own special possession' (Latin peculiaris, from peculium 'private property') to 'strange/odd,' making covenant identity sound like an insult.
What Replaced It
“special”
Vague and overused; peculiar meant legally owned, covenantally possessed
“treasured”
Sentimental; peculiar carried legal ownership and exclusive claim
“chosen”
Focuses on selection; peculiar emphasized belonging and possession after selection