On Thu, 13 Apr 2006 20:09:17 -0500, David Sachs
<sachs@fnal.gov> wrote:
> Since the obvious combination, "pedophile", has a very different meaning,
> what is the proper word for a person who likes children?
A pedophile is a foot-fetishist (see pedologist, pedometer)! A
paedophile is one who "loves children" (Greek paid, child, and philos,
"love of siblings"). The correct term for a person who has sexual
desire towards children should be something like paedoeroticist (eros
being sexual love), but we are stuck with the incorrect meaning now.
The ending '-phile' now almost exclusively implies a sexual love or
desire, rather than the original "brotherly love".
In today's society, to admit to a "love of children" at all (in any
language) is regarded as suspicious and implying some sort of unhealthy
sexual interest in them, particularly if it is about children in general
(loving your own offspring is still marginally acceptable). And since
the words are often confused[1] by people, 'liking' children is often
seem as the same and is there fore dangerous[2].
[1] "I love [like] peanut butter!"; "Do you think he likes [has a sexual
or romantic interest in] me?" The words are used interchangeably by
large parts of society, and many people seem to actually not know that
there is even supposed to be a difference.
[2] Dangerous to the point where people have been arrested for having
pictures of their own child naked in a pool...
Of course, it's not the only word which doesn't mean what it ought to.
Which of 'vegetarian' and 'humanitarian' is correct? One who cares for
the welfare of vegetables, or one who eats humans?
Chris C
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