WATCH YOUR LANGUAGE! 'Phil' has fun with his words

I nearly always believe that shorter words are better for making a point. But I found a few unusual long words that can be fun for philonoists and nonphilonoists.

Yes, "philonoist" is one. A philonoist loves learning. I might have made up that second word.

But the word "philonoist" is alarmingly similar to "philoneist," one who follows trends obsessively.

These obscure words all include the Greek root for love, "phil."

A few of the words make sense to me because the parts are familiar.

Heliophile

A "heliophile" is attracted to sunlight. "Helio" is the Greek word for "sun." After any cold spell, I'm sure, the heliophile club's membership bursts.

Chasmophilia

"Chasmophilia" is the love of nooks, crevices and crannies. A "chasm" is an opening. Chasmophilia is a key skill for the master hide-and-seek player.

Chromophilous

"Chromophilous" is a trait meaning "staining easily." "Chromo" means color. The word is a medical term for cells or part of tissues. In my house, it also applies to tablecloths.

Aerophilately

I had heard of philately, or stamp collecting. But a specialty in the hobby is "aerophilately," the collecting of airmail stamps.

Some of the words threw me because I was unfamiliar with the roots of the syllables.

Ailurophilia

"Ailurophilia" is the love of cats. "Ailouros" is the Greek root word for "cat."

Arctophily

"Arctophily" is the collecting of teddy bears. "Arktos" is the Greek root meaning "bear." I don't know about this one. Did the collectors once focus on live bears and then decide at a conference to collect bears with teeth that were less sharp? I think that was a smart move.

Ombrophile

Ombrophiles are no doubt abundant in Seattle. Ombrophiles are plants that survive even after extensive rain. "Ombros" is the Greek root for rain shower. I'm going to go ahead and decide ombrophiles can be people, too.

Myrmecophilous

This one really threw me. It's an adjective for being in a mutually beneficial relationship with ants. I don't think I can add humans to this category. But if I'm wrong, please let me know.

Turophile

A turophile is a cheese lover. I cannot believe they (we) get their own word. "Turos" is the Greek root word for cheese. I could not have guessed that.

Philomath

This word also means a person who loves knowledge. I shuddered when I learned that "math" came from the Greek root for "learning, knowledge." Math, as I learned it in school, always scared me a little.

Lygophile

A "lygophile" loves the darkness. "Lygo-" is from the ancient Greek word for twilight. I suppose the lygophile community includes vampires.

Labeorphily

"Labeorphily" is the hobby of collecting and studying the labels on beer bottles. I'm sure this is a load of fun, but I'm a bigger fan of the bottles' contents.

Pogonophile

A "pogonophile" is interested in beards. "Pogon" came from the Greek word for beard. It also shows up in the scientific names for many bearded dragons.

Apodysophilia

Wow, this is the frenzied urge to remove one's clothes. The "apodyso" root means to undress. Lots of little kids are apodysophiles. Maybe even some adults are.

Gynotikolobomassophile

I think a good one to end with is "gynotikolobomassophile," a person who enjoys nibbling a woman's earlobe. That word is a mouthful, even though earlobes aren't terribly large. It's pieced together from a number of roots. This pastime is not to be confused with Mike Tyson's chomping off of Evander Holyfield's ear during their 1997 fight.

Sources: The Phrontistery, Word Info, Dictionary.com, Merriam-Webster, American Heritage Dictionary, The Free Dictionary

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Style on 12/17/2018

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