loutro-, loutr-

(Greek: bath, bathing)


A discussion about the above words appeared in the April 19, 1993, issue of The Christian Science Monitor in an article, "Dictionary Service Answers Questions About Words" (page 14) that described an organization known as "OWLS" [Oxford Word and Language Service]. One writer wrote, "Please can you tell me the word for a person who drinks their [sic] own bath water, as opposed to one who drinks another's bath water?" These words do not exist in any dictionary. Part of the OWLS' reply read: "As the concept is not central to European civilization, I am not surprised that it has failed to find a place in dictionaries. If words for this are needed in the future, then autoloutrophilist and alloloutrophilist are waiting in the wings for their brief flash of celebrity."


autoloutrophilist (s) (noun), autoloutrophilists (pl)
One who is fond of drinking his/her own bath water: Because Mary's husband turned out to be an autoloutrophilist and consuming the water he used for bathing, she decided that he must see a psychiatrist or else she wanted a divorce!
louter
A Greek bath basin.
loutrophoros
A tall, long-necked water vase with two handles, used in ancient Athens, Greece, for bringing water for the ceremonial bath of the bride and groom on the eve of a marriage; it was also often buried in the grave of one who has died during the period of betrothal.