Book related terminologies

Considering the importance of books as a source of knowledge and leisure for centuries, it is no wonder that a large number of terminologies related to books have emerged. While each one has its own meaning, many of them are quite similar and it may often get confusing to differentiate one from the other. Here are some of the common book-related terminologies which you might want to stay aware of.

Bookworm, Bookaholic, Bibliophile, Bibliophobe

Out of four, three terminologies sound quite similar to each other and are often confused together. However, they do actually differ from each other, even if just slightly.

Bookworm: Originally, bookworm referred to a variety of insects that infest books and feed on the paper. However, the term is now also used to describe a person who is unusually devoted to studying or reading. Bookworms usually pay a great deal of attention to formal rules.Bookaholic:A bookaholic is simply a person who loves books. It is a term which means addiction with the suffix derived from the word ‘alcoholic’. While a bookworm is more focused on reading in a detailed fashion, paying a lot of attention, a bookaholic is a generally addicted to books and always looks for something to read.Bibliophile:A bibliophile is a book lover too. However, a bibliophile’s interest would be more focused on books in general than on reading. For instance, they are particularly interested in the design of books, such as the binding style and the print. Typically, bibliophiles tend to become book collectors.Bibliophobe: A Bibliophobe refers to a person who distrusts, fears or hates books.Sections of a book: Preface, front cover, back cover, bibliography, index

Almost anyone who has read books is likely to be familiar with these terminologies. However, let us take a look at what exactly they mean.

Preface: A preface is an introductory text at the beginning of a book that provides an explanation of the aim with which the book was written. It may also contain specific statements from the author or an acknowledgement of help received from others.Front cover:As the term suggests, the front cover is simply the cover page in front of a book, usually containing the book’s title, author’s name and sometimes additional information or design.Back cover: The cover on the other end of the book, i.e., on its back, is referred to as the back cover. The back cover often carries a summary of the book.Bibliography:The bibliography presents a list of all the sources that the author has used while carrying out the research necessary to write the book.Index:An index is similar to a table of contents and offers the readers a list of the various topics in the book, along with the page numbers to help them find the topics.Difference between a reprint and revised edition

While creating additional copies of a book after the first edition, they can either be printed as simple reprinted versions or as revised editions.

Reprint: A reprinted edition is simply a newly printed edition of a book, without any major changes. However, some typing mistakes in the previous edition may be corrected in a reprinted version.Revised edition: When major changes are made to the content of a book while creating a new edition, such as adding or removing any information or altering the design of the book, it is termed as a revised edition.

The knowledge of these terminologies would help you gain a better idea of the context when you come across these in any scenario.

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Geetha Kumari writes for hindueshop.com, which is a dharmik book store