Sunday Rest: oikophilia. Word Not To Use Today.

The word oikophilia was coined, or at least popularised, by the philosopher Roger Scruton, a man with more Greek than most.

Perhaps this is why he didn't realise - or perhaps he didn't care - that although many of us have noticed that a word ending -philia is likely to express a love of something, all that most of us know of oiks is that they are (I quote my Collins Dictionary) a person regarded as inferior because ignorant, ill-educated, or lower-class.

Now, a love of oiks would be a splendid thing, especially as nearly all of us are of a lower class than Sir Roger, but, sadly, instead of being an Anglo-Saxon version of the French nostalgie de la boue, oikophilia is in fact a love of home that makes you respect and care for it.

It's an important idea, though I'm afraid the word oikophilia really isn't going to help many of us access it.

Word To Consider Today: oikophilia. Oikos in Greek can mean house, home, a family, or a family's possessions.