-phil, -phile
(fɪl, faɪl)
combining element repr. Gr. ϕίλος loving, dear. In Greek, found only in certain personal names, where it means ‘dear, beloved’, as Δίϕιλος (dear to Zeus), θεόϕιλος (dear to God). In med. and mod.L. often used as a second element in form -philus, -phila, with sense ‘lover, loving’ (e.g. botanophilus (Linn.) lover of plants, amateur botanist, Ammophila, generic name). Hence in French words -phile, in Eng. -phile or later -phil, as Anglophil(e, Russophil(e, Slavophil(e, Turcophil(e, for which forms with the prefix philo- are more correct etymologically; so conchophil(e (shell-loving), gastrophil(e, oxyphil(e, etc.; spec. in Biol. and Med. in the sense ‘having an affinity for (a certain substance or class of substances)’, as in eosinophil a. and n., neutrophil(e adj. and n. (s.v. neutro-). Hence also -philous, q.v.