An Anglophile is a person who is fond of English culture and England in general.[1] Its antonym is Anglophobe.[2]
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Definition
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word comes from French, and ultimately from Latin Anglus "British"/"English" + Ancient Greek φίλος - philos, "friend"). It gives the first use as occurring in 1867, where the journal Revue des deux mondes is described as a "thoroughly Anglophile journal".[3]
In some cases, anglophilia represents an individual's preference for English culture over their own;[citation needed] the belief that British culture is superior;[citation needed] or an appreciation of British history. Alongside anglophiles who are attracted to 'traditional' English culture (e.g. Shakespeare, Jane Austen, Dr. Johnson, Gilbert and Sullivan), there are also anglophiles who like pop and rock music from Britain, as well as British news and entertainment (such as the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC World Service) news program), and British cars (Jaguar, Rolls Royce or Aston Martin), and British contemporary culture in general. Fondness of the British Monarchy, British bureaucracy (such as the Westminster system of parliament and the Royal Mail) as well as British Empire nostalgia may also be considered Anglophilia.
American anglophiles may use British English spellings instead of the usual American spellings, such as 'colour' instead of 'color', 'grey' rather than 'gray', 'centre' rather than 'center', and 'traveller' rather than 'traveler'. A noted American anglophile was Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.
The term is not usually associated with citizens of Commonwealth nations (the former British Empire), although these countries share many aspects of culture and history with the UK. Occasionally, it is used to describe the adherence to the culture of the wider Anglosphere such as the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
See also
References
- ^ The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition.2000.
- ^ Dictionary.com: anglophile
- ^ "Anglophilia", n. " The Oxford English Dictionary. 2nd ed. 1989. OED Online. Oxford University Press. 4 Apr. 2000 <http://dictionary.oed.com/cgi/entry/50008518>.
Bibliography
- Ian Buruma, Anglomania: a European Love Affair (Random House, 1999 in the US), or Voltaire's Coconuts, or Anglomania in Europe (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1999 in the UK).
- Time magazine review of Anglomania
External links
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