Bibliophilism

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A passion for collecting and preserving books, especially rare or valuable editions
2. The love of books as physical objects, often leading to the practice of amassing personal libraries
3. An enthusiasm for literature characterized by the careful selection and curation of book collections

Etymology: "Bibliophilism" is built from two Greek elements: "biblion", meaning "book", and "philos", meaning "loving" or "fond of", with the English suffix "-ism" marking a doctrine, practice, or state. The Greek "biblion" was itself a diminutive of "byblos", the papyrus plant whose pith was pressed into writing material, so the word for a book carries the memory of the reed it was once made from. The pattern is a familiar one. "Bibliophile" (a lover of books) came first, and "bibliophilism" follows the same recipe that gives English words like "Anglophilism" or "Hellenism" their sense of an attitude or cultivated habit. Where "bibliophile" names a person, the "-ism" form names the condition or devotion itself, so the word describes the passion rather than the collector.

Synonyms: book collecting, bibliomania, book love, book enthusiasm, bibliophily

Antonyms: bibliophobia, book hatred