Necrophilia
/ˌnɛk.roʊˈfɪl.i.ə/noun
A sexual attraction to dead bodies.
Did you know?Its roots are Greek: nekros meant “dead body” or “corpse,” while philia meant “affection” or “fondness,” a pairing that turns a medical term into something almost ritualistic in sound.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
nekros
“a dead body; corpse”
Ancient Greek
Greek
philia
“affection; fondness; friendship”
Late 19th Century
French
nécrophilie
“attraction toward corpses”
Late 19th Century
English
necrophilia
“attraction to dead bodies”
Modern English
English
necrophilia
“a sexual attraction to dead bodies”
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