Etymology

cataphile

ca·ta·phile
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Today it means: A type of urban explorer who visits the ancient catacombs and quarries linked by tunnels beneath Paris, France. Full definition →

First used late 20th c.French cataphile
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The story

  1. French · borrowed fromcataphile
  2. English todaycataphile

PIE word *ḱóm Borrowed from French cataphile, a blend of catacombe (“catacomb”) + -phile (suffix denoting one who loves a thing).

First known use, by meaning

  • from late 20th c. A type of urban explorer who visits the ancient catacombs and quarries linked by tunnels beneath Paris, France.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.