Esoteric vs. Archaic

Esotericadjective

Intended for or likely to be understood by only a small number of people with a specialized knowledge or interest, or an enlightened inner circle.

Esotericadjective

Having to do with concepts that are highly theoretical and without obvious practical application; often with mystical or religious connotations.

Esotericadjective

Confidential; private.

Esotericnoun

An esoteric doctrine or treatise; esoteric philosophy.

Esotericnoun

One who believes, or is an initiate, in esoteric doctrines or rites.

Esotericadjective

Designed for, and understood by, the specially initiated alone; not communicated, or not intelligible, to the general body of followers; private; interior; acroamatic; - said of discussions of technical topics and of the private and more recondite instructions and doctrines of philosophers. Opposed to exoteric.

Esotericadjective

Marked by secrecy or privacy; private; select; confidential; as, an esoteric purpose; an esoteric meeting.

Esotericnoun

An esoteric doctrine or treatise; esoteric philosophy; esoterics.

Esotericadjective

confined to and understandable by only an enlightened inner circle;

Archaicnoun

A general term for the prehistoric period intermediate between the earliest period (‘[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paleo-Indian Paleo-Indian]’, ‘Paleo-American’, ‘American‐paleolithic’, &c.) of human presence in the Western Hemisphere, and the most recent prehistoric period (‘Woodland’, etc.).

Archaicnoun

(paleoanthropology) (A member of) an archaic variety of Homo sapiens.

Archaicadjective

Of or characterized by antiquity; old-fashioned, quaint, antiquated.

Archaicadjective

(of words) No longer in ordinary use, though still used occasionally to give a sense of antiquity.

Archaicadjective

(archaeology) Belonging to the archaic period

Archaicadjective

Of or characterized by antiquity or archaism; antiquated; obsolescent.

Archaicadjective

so extremely old as seeming to belong to an earlier period;

Archaicadjective

little evolved from or characteristic of an earlier ancestral type;