philo-, phil-, -phile, -philia, -philic, -philous, -phily, -philiac, -philist, -philism
(Greek: love, loving, friendly to, fondness for, attraction to; strong tendency toward, affinity for)
These are just a few of the meanings set up for the etymological meanings of philo- which comes to us from Greek.
In biology, there are many words that use philo-, phil- to mean "thriving in such and such a place or situation; or exhibiting a tendency for a specified condition" for its existence.
Other meanings include: "strongly attracted to; such as, an organism that loves or is strongly attracted to something which is specified".
In psychology and psychiatry, -phile, -philia, etc. use this element as a word termination indicating an abnormal craving or attraction to or an affinity for an object as shown by the word stems to which they are affixed.
nemophilous (adjective), more nemophilous, most nemophilous
Pertaining to a love of forests or groves: Mr. Pearson had a special nemophilous interest in woodland life and spent many hours walking and observing the wildlife in the woods.
A fondness for groves or trees: Mr. Hathaway's wife said that he had a case of nemophily because not only did he do a lot of research on forest life, but also took long walks in the woods every weekend.
The attraction, or inclination to approach unfamiliar objects or situations: Mary was definitely keen on trying out new .activities and getting to know how to do new things. Later she found out that this was termed neophily.
The study of the two academic disciplines of philosophy and neuroscience: Jack wanted to know the connection between the traditional philosophy of the mind and the neuroscientific studies, termed neurophilosphy, that he had heard about in the courses he was taking at college.
Any creature which thrives in pastures: There are many nomophiles that do very well on nature land, including cattle, goats, and particularly horses!
nomophilous (adjective), more nomophilous, most nomophilous
In biology, regarding a form of life that thrives in pastures: One particular nomophilous animal that dwells on pasture land is the domestic antelope!
The situation of life forms living in pastures: Before he started having animals on his farm, Albert decided first to read about nomophily in order to know which animals would be the best to have in his pasture.
A person who is morbidly attracted by sickness or disease: Jane read a story about a ghoulish kind of girl who was drawn towards those who had illnesses and ailments, and she was termed to be a nosophile.
A collector of bank notes: Mr. Smith, a notaphilist, had a hobby of studying and saving paper money from different countries in the world and he had them all in special albums for that purpose.
noterophilous (adjective), more noterophilous, most noterophilous
In biology, a reference to a plant thriving in mesic (moderate moisture) habitats: Some noterophilous plants, like clover, corn, or goldenrod, need an area with reasonable or an average amount of water to prosper nicely.
A chemical compound or group that is attracted to nuclei and tends to donate or share electrons: A nucleophile can be exemplified as an electron-donating reagent.
A person who has an abnormal preference for darkness or night: Mary's neighbor, a nyctophilist, had a preference for being active at night, when it was dark and quiet, like going for long walks and listening to nature's sounds without traffic noises, sirens, and firetrucks disturbing the peace.
A fondness for night or darkness: Affected by nyctophilia, Alice certainly had a positive feeling towards the time of night when it was quiet and peaceful, and she enjoyed so much the absence of traffic and police cars racing past her house.
An affinity towards darkness or night: Quite impressed by nyctophily Jack always loved the clear nights in the summer when he could go outside, lie on the grass, and observe the stars in the sky.
An organism that exists in an ocean: Some oceanophiles can be plants, like algae, kelp, and seagrass, that thrive in oceanic habitats.
You may take a self-scoring quiz over some of the words in this section by just clicking this Philo Quiz #1 link.Related "love, fondness" units: agape-; amat-; vener-; venus.
