psammophilia - Meaning, Image, Examples & Etymology - Learn English Visually

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psammophilia

|psam-mo-phi-li-a|

🇺🇸

/ˌsæməˈfɪliə/

🇬🇧

/ˌsæməˈfɪlɪə/

love of sand

Etymology

Etymology Information

'psammophilia' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'psammós' (ψάμμος), where 'psammós' meant 'sand', combined with the Greek suffix 'philia' meaning 'affection' or 'love'.

Historical Evolution

'psammophilia' was formed in modern English by combining the Greek roots 'psammos' + 'philia' (a pattern common in scientific and medical coinages of the 19th–20th centuries), yielding a term meaning 'love of sand'.

Meaning Changes

Initially it meant 'love of sand' in a neutral or descriptive sense; over time it has also come to be used specifically for a paraphilia meaning 'sexual attraction to sand'.

Meanings by Part of Speech

Noun 1

a fondness or strong liking for sand; attraction to sandy environments or materials.

His psammophilia led him to collect sand from beaches around the world.

Synonyms

psammophilysand-lovingpsammophile

Antonyms

psammophobia

Noun 2

a paraphilia in which a person experiences sexual arousal from contact with sand or from being covered in sand (a sand-related fetish).

Some paraphilias, such as psammophilia, involve sexual arousal associated with sand.

Synonyms