Philobiblists

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A person who loves books and values literature highly
2. Someone who appreciates the written word and actively seeks to collect, preserve, or study books
3. An individual who exhibits a passion for reading and often engages in book collecting as a hobby

Etymology: "Philobiblists" is simply the plural of "philobiblist," so the history belongs to the singular noun. That noun is built from two Greek elements: "philos," meaning loving or fond of, and "biblion," meaning book, the same root that gives English "Bible" and "bibliography." Put together, the pieces describe exactly what the word names: a lover of books. The "-ist" ending, from Greek "-istes," marks a person who practises or is devoted to something, which is why the word denotes a person rather than an activity. Words in "philo-" have a long pedigree in English, and "philobiblist" joins a family that includes "philanthropist" and "philology," all formed from the same Greek stem for affection or fondness.