The Greek
root-phil- originates from the Greek word meaning "love". For example,
philosophy (along with the Greek root -soph- meaning "wisdom") is the study of human customs and the
significance of life. One of the most common uses of the root -phil- is with philias.
A
philia is the
love or
obsession with a particular thing or subject. The suffix -philia is used to specify the love or obsession with something more specific. It is somewhat
antonymic to -phobia. Philias can be biological (e.g. rhizophilia, preference for living on roots) or chemical (e.g. chromophilous, materials that stain easily), or can be a hobby/liking (e.g. icthyophilia, love for fish).
Philia (φιλία) as a
Greek word for love refers to
brotherly love, including
friendship and
affection. This contrasts to the Greek terms
Eros, or
sexual/
romantic love, and
agape, or detached, spiritual love. However, English usage differs in some cases from the etymological use, and several of these words refer in English not to brotherly love but to sexual attraction.
The suffix -phile (or, in a few cases, -philiac) applies to someone who has one of these philia. It is the antonym of -phobe.
Phil- (philo-) may also be used as a prefix with a similar meaning.
Logophilia: love of words — logophiles may be interested in word games, such as crosswords, or Scrabble, and in the extreme, derive enjoyment from reading things commonly given less notice, such as labels
Metrophilia: love of the metro rail or subway systems
Neophilia: love of the latest novelties and trends
Paraphilia (previously known as sexual perversion and sexual deviation) is the experience of intense sexual arousal to atypical objects, situations, fantasies, behaviors, or individuals. Such attraction may be labeled
sexual fetishism
Homophile: a term used to refer to
gay people or those who supported
homosexuality, prior to
gay liberation and other
LGBT social movements. It was proposed as an alternative to homosexual, that would have a more positive connotation, before the word "gay" became dedicated for this purpose
Topophilia: a strong sense of place, which often becomes mixed with the sense of
cultural identity among certain people and a love of certain aspects of such a place
The Greek
root-phil- originates from the Greek word meaning "love". For example,
philosophy (along with the Greek root -soph- meaning "wisdom") is the study of human customs and the
significance of life. One of the most common uses of the root -phil- is with philias.
A
philia is the
love or
obsession with a particular thing or subject. The suffix -philia is used to specify the love or obsession with something more specific. It is somewhat
antonymic to -phobia. Philias can be biological (e.g. rhizophilia, preference for living on roots) or chemical (e.g. chromophilous, materials that stain easily), or can be a hobby/liking (e.g. icthyophilia, love for fish).
Philia (φιλία) as a
Greek word for love refers to
brotherly love, including
friendship and
affection. This contrasts to the Greek terms
Eros, or
sexual/
romantic love, and
agape, or detached, spiritual love. However, English usage differs in some cases from the etymological use, and several of these words refer in English not to brotherly love but to sexual attraction.
The suffix -phile (or, in a few cases, -philiac) applies to someone who has one of these philia. It is the antonym of -phobe.
Phil- (philo-) may also be used as a prefix with a similar meaning.
Logophilia: love of words — logophiles may be interested in word games, such as crosswords, or Scrabble, and in the extreme, derive enjoyment from reading things commonly given less notice, such as labels
Metrophilia: love of the metro rail or subway systems
Neophilia: love of the latest novelties and trends
Paraphilia (previously known as sexual perversion and sexual deviation) is the experience of intense sexual arousal to atypical objects, situations, fantasies, behaviors, or individuals. Such attraction may be labeled
sexual fetishism
Homophile: a term used to refer to
gay people or those who supported
homosexuality, prior to
gay liberation and other
LGBT social movements. It was proposed as an alternative to homosexual, that would have a more positive connotation, before the word "gay" became dedicated for this purpose
Topophilia: a strong sense of place, which often becomes mixed with the sense of
cultural identity among certain people and a love of certain aspects of such a place