Taphophile
/ˈtæf.ə.faɪl/noun
A person with a strong interest in cemeteries, graves, tombs, or funerary history.
Did you know?The same Greek root appears in “taphonomy,” the scientific study of what happens to bodies and organisms after death and burial.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
τάφος (táphos)
“Tomb, grave, or burial place”
Ancient Greek
Greek
θάπτω (tháptō)
“To bury or inter”
Ancient Greek
Greek
φίλος (phílos)
“Loving, fond of, or dear”
19th Century
Scientific Greek
taphonomy
“The study of burial and the processes affecting remains after death”
20th Century
English
taphophile
“A person devoted to or fascinated by tombs, graves, and cemeteries”
Modern English
English
taphophile
“A cemetery and funerary-history enthusiast”