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philhellenism

philhellenism

1 9.9
Strong interest in Greece, its people, and its culture
  • noun
  • /ˌfɪlˈhɛlɪnɪzəm/
: filófilo
  • The revival of classical architecture in the city was a sign of growing philhellenism among its residents.

Examples

  • Many artists in the 19th century expressed their philhellenism through literature and paintings celebrating ancient Greek themes.

  • Exalted by the philhellenism at the centers of Western European civilization.

    Academic text (1996)
  • Her fervent philhellenism led her to visit Greece multiple times to immerse herself in its rich culture and history.

Surface Forms

philhellenism singular

Morphology

philhellenism = Hellenism (semi-transparent) = phil + hellen + ism

Built by adding the combining form 'phil-' (love) to the noun 'Hellenism'; the classical combining form and the specialized noun make the structure partially recognizable but not fully transparent to average learners.

Etymology

The word philhellenism comes from the Greek parts phil- meaning 'love' and Hellen- meaning 'Greece'. So, philhellenism is literally a 'love of Greece' and describes admiration for Greek people, culture, or customs.