An Anglophile is a person who is fond of English culture or, more broadly, British culture.[1] Its antonym is Anglophobe.[2]
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The word comes from Latin Anglus "English" via French, and is ultimately derived from Old English Englisc "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 appreciation of English 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 England and the other countries of the UK (from bands such as Oasis, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Pink Floyd, The Rolling Stones, Queen, Girls Aloud (band) so on), as well as British news and entertainment (such as the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC World Service) news program), Doctor Who and British cars (Jaguar, Rolls Royce, MG 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 and the English class system, may also be considered Anglophilia.
American Anglophiles may use British English spellings instead of American spellings, such as 'colour' instead of 'color', 'grey' rather than 'gray', 'centre' rather than 'center', and 'traveller' rather than 'traveler'. Noted American Anglophiles include Lady Gaga, Jean Paul Getty, George Takei and 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 (except Quebec), Australia and New Zealand.
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