Greek #2

Root: PHIL, PHILE

Meaning: love, very strong interest in

Words:

1. philanthropist (n) (anthrop = mankind, humans) (-ist = designates a person): a person who loves humanity, a person who acts benevolently toward mankind

My son is a philanthropist of sorts, often eager to “share” his half-eaten, unwanted food and his broken toys with just about anyone. And yet, the second his little sister willingly shares an unwanted item with him, he is quick to point out that it’s “not really that nice” because she didn’t want it. Then, an argument commences about whether or not she was, in fact, nice. It’s all very philanthropic of them, this sharing and then arguing about it thing they have going on.

2. philosophy (n) (soph = wise): love of wisdom that leads to a search for it or study of it

I really enjoyed philosophy in college. I really did, and I truly believe it’s an important subject to study. But I’m also a daydreamer of the highest order, and a class with long discussions involving the search for truth lent itself well to daydreaming. So did algebra, chemistry, and Spanish in high school, frankly, as well as biology, art history and PE 101 in college. Oh, and Educational Research and Educational Psychology in grad school, and…well, really, taking out the garbage five minutes ago. You get the idea. I guess this tells you a bit about my philosophy of education as well. It’s amazing the wisdom that comes from a lifetime of daydreaming. At least I’m hoping.

3. Anglophile (n) (Anglo = for our purposes here, it means English or British, which is a narrow definition of the root): one who loves or is very interested in Britain and/or all things British

When the small people came into being, my life as an Anglophile came to a screeching halt. Turns out, diaper expenses can quickly add up to the cost of a roundtrip ticket to Heathrow, and then some. Now, at best, I watch a snippet of BBC News between small people “emergencies” and try to pretend I’m sitting in a B&B on a moor somewhere in England. Sometimes, I keep pretending during the small people emergencies. And if you’re shocked by this confession, just wait until you have kids yourself.

4. bibliophile (n) (biblio = book): one who loves books

When the small people came into being, my life as a bibliophile also came to a screeching halt. Now, you might catch me walking past a bookstore, wide-eyed and salivating, looking longingly at a life I once knew. Somehow, today’s reading of Clifford and the Big Ship, enthralling as it was in that I-could-care-less kind of way, didn’t quite satiate.