'linguophilia' originates from a combination of Latin and Greek: specifically Latin 'lingua', where 'lingua' meant 'tongue, language', and Greek 'philia', where 'philia' meant 'fondness, love'.

'linguophilia' was formed in modern English as a learned compound by combining the Latin-derived prefix 'linguo-' (from Medieval/Modern Latin 'lingua') with the Greek suffix '-philia' (from Greek 'philia'); the formation appears in late 19th to early 20th century English usage.

Initially it referred specifically to an affection for tongues or languages; over time it has kept that sense but broadened to include general enthusiasm for language learning and linguistic study.