What is the word for ....?

Question

Being in love with sharks

I know there is a word for people with love for inanimate objects or like other things like that. Is there a specific words for sharks?

Answer 1

Galeophilia.

Words like these are created by taking the Latin or Greek root and adding the suffix -philia (the Greek for 'friendship' but understood in English to mean 'tendency towards' or 'abnormal attraction to'). Thus, 'necrophilia' is a love of death or the dead ('nekros' being the Greek for 'corpse' or 'death'), and 'biophilia' is a love for life or the living.

The Greek for shark is 'galeos'.

EDIT: Hahahaha! I shouldn't come on here when I've been on the Baileys. Ha! I crack myself up...

What I MEANT to say (of course) was 'Selachophilia'. I'm sure someone of some importance must have coined the phrase before me, but if 'selachophobia' is the fear of sharks, then I'd bet my Baileys 'selachophilia' is the love of sharks (and you've learnt how much I love my Baileys).

The word doesn't appear to be in circulation though, probably because any '-philia' suggests abnormal sexual attraction, and I struggle to imagine anyone being sexually attracted to Jaws. No offense, I must add, if this is in fact the reason you post the question. Whatever turns you on, as they say.

Hope this time round's a bit more accurate! How do I do it...

Answer 2

sharkophilia? probably something combining the scientific name for shark and the suffix -philia.

Answer 3

Squalophile.