We’re living in a world where we finally have words for feelings that we have always felt but not known how to express. There are so many different ‘phile’ words but do you know what they mean? I’ve compiled a list of 20 ‘phile’ words that you might (or might not) relate to!
Go through them all and tell me your score in the comments below.
But, first some history. The word ‘Phile’ comes from the ancient Greek word, ‘phileein’, meaning to love. Phile denotes a person who loves or has a fondness for a specified thing. thefreedictionary defines ‘phile’ as one who loves or has a strong affinity or preference for.
Let’s get started!
1. Ailurophile
A person who likes cats, a cat lover. Are you someone who finds comfort in the purs of a cat and love the queens that they are? Well, this be you.
2. Anthophile
A lover of flowers; someone who appreciates flowers. Do you absolutely relish flowers? Send them to a sick friend or when you want to show affection for your partner? Or just congratulate a colleague on their work anniversary? You are an anthopile!
3. Arctophile
A person who collects or is very fond of teddy bears. A lot of children grow up loving teddy bears. But, some continue to love them even when childhood wears off. If you appreciate the love, warmth, and comfort of a teddy bear and still probably have one on your bed, you are an arctophile!
4. Astrophile
A person who loves stars and astronomy. Night dates, listening to music under the clear sky, looking at the stars, dreaming: sound like you? Are you fascinated with astronomical documentaries and can’t get enough of them? Well, this one’s definitely you, then!
5. Autophile
A person who loves solitude, being alone. Well, this is me. Do you enjoy solo dates, the calmness that surrounds the lack of any company, and can just spend days with yourself without a freckle of annoyance on your face? Yep, this might be you. And I want to tell you it’s so awesome to love solitude. It truly grounds you and makes you appreciate life and its niceties.
6. Bibliophile
A person who collects or has a great love of books. As someone who’s read over 50 books already this year, you can guess if I’m a Bibliophile. I find comfort in the pages of the books. They feel at home. The scent of books and bookstores tops my ‘most favourite scents’ lists. And thinking of reading books makes me giddy. Do you relate to these too? Then, you are a bibliophile, just like me! Welcome to the club 😀
7. Ceraunophile
A person who loves thunder and lightning.
While a lot of people get scared and feel unsettled by thunder and lightning, but if you don’t, you might be a ceraunophile. If thunder mesmerises you, grounds you, and makes you feel the infinity of the universe, you are definitely a ceraunophile.
8. Chionophile
A person who loves cold weather and snow. Well, quite self-explanatory. If winter is your favourite season, you feel fresh and a sense of being alive and in the moment washes all over you, you are a chinophile.
9. Cinephile
A person who is fond of the cinema. Cinephiles consume cinema like their favourite food: never stopping, always in awe. They might not have read the books, but they watch the movies: all of them. Cinema makes them feel the expanse of living. They relish seeing stories and the beauty of being able to tell a story on screen. Do you relate? Well, you are a cinephile.
10. Cynophile
A person who loves canines, a dog lover.
Do you also stop every minute you see a dog on the streets to pet them and love them? Well, cynophile, definitely. Need I say more?
11. Dendrophile
A person who loves trees and forests. Do you enjoy treks, have grown one too many plants in your house and can’t get enough of them? Do you often stop and wonder about the meaning of magnificence when you see large, old trees? Do you talk about the characteristics of trees as if you’re describing people? Do you feel renewed after spending time in a forest? Well, you are a dendrophile.
12. Ergophile
A person who loves to work. Do you enjoy working all day round and just don’t understand the 9-5 work hours? You might be an ergophile.
13. Heliophile:
A lover of the sun. Do you enjoy sunny weather and are attracted to a lot of sunlight? Do you worship sunlight? You are a heliophile, then!
14. Javaphile:
A person who loves to drink coffee.
The word java is popular slang for coffee. Many pastimes and beverages have a single word that describes the persons that enjoy, no, and love the activity. For example, people that love to drink wine are referred to as Oenophiles. Billions of people drink coffee daily, and the word to refer to these coffee lovers is Javaphiles. So do you consume coffee like water too? If yes, you’re a Javaphile.
15. Logophile
A person who loves words.
A logophile is a lover of words. Also called a word lover or philologos. A related term is logomaniac, defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as “a person who is obsessively interested in words.” Want to read an example; I’ve got you!
“I am a lifelong logophile if not an out-and-out verbivore. I have a good ear and a good memory for words, it’s just a kind of tic or trick, the way some lucky people can play a song by ear after hearing it once or count cards at blackjack or spot four-leaf clovers. Unusual and specialized words tend to lodge in my mind, where they hang around, often for years, until I need them. American English has an astonishingly rich vocabulary, and we typically use so little of it; I think that’s a shame, or maybe it would be better to say I think of it as an invitation. I write with two dictionaries right at my elbow . . .. I look forward to visiting my dictionaries anew every time I sit down to write. The same goes for when I’m reading, and I come across an unknown word: Quaternions? Yahoo! I get to go to the dictionary! I know that’s probably kind of freakish” – Michael Chabon, “Questions for Michael Chabon. The New York Times, Feb. 8, 2007
So, are you a logophile too?
16. Lygophile
A person who loves shade & darkness.
Lygophilia came from the Greek words “lugē” which translates to “twilight” and “phileō” which means “I love”. Those with lygophilia abnormally long for dark or gloomy places. They prefer dark clothes, and love everything about the night. Do you relate?
17. Pluviophile:
A lover of rain; someone who finds joy and peace of mind during rainy days.
Some love winter (I do), some love summer, but some look forward to rain all year long. A pluviophile is someone who finds comfort, joy and peace of mind during rainy days. Are you someone who gets excited when it starts raining, rushes out to get drenched, finds it romantic and experiences physical, emotional and mental comfort when it rains? You are a pluviophile, then!
A lot of people relate to this. If you do too and want to know more about it, I’ve written a detailed post on pluviophilia. Check it out here.
18. Phytophile
A person who is fond of plants. Are you someone who thrives around plants or are especially interested in plants? Do you have rooms dedicated to just plants in your house? Do you know a lot of plant varieties and kingdoms? Are you the go-to person when your family and friends want to buy plants? Well, you get the drill. If you check these boxes, you’re a phytophile.
19. Xanthophile:
A person who loves the colour yellow. Okay, answer these questions: Do you own a lot of stuff that’s yellow? Do you buy everything yellow? Do you often tell yourself that you won’t buy anything yellow now but end up doing the same anyway? Do you smile when you see a yellow sign on the road? Or get excited seeing anything yellow anywhere? If you answered yes to any of these questions – you too could be classed as a xanthophile. I know I am one!
20. Zoophile:
A person who is devoted to animals and their protection. Zoophilia is a paraphilia involving a sexual fixation on non-human animals. Bestiality is cross-species sexual activity between humans and non-human animals. Bestiality is cross-species sexual activity between humans and non-human animals. The terms are often used interchangeably, but some researchers make a distinction between the attraction (zoophilia) and the act (bestiality).