Anthropophagus

/ænθroʊˈpɑfəɡəs/ noun

Definition

A person who eats human flesh; a cannibal or member of a supposedly cannibalistic people.

Etymology

From Greek anthropos (human) + phagos (eater). Used by Greek and Roman writers, later adopted into English and used throughout colonial literature.

Kelly Says

The plural 'anthropophagi' appears in Shakespeare and ancient texts, but the word was mostly used to describe peoples Europeans had never actually met—it's a haunting example of how language creates myths.

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