Pharology is the scientific study of lighthouses and signal lights, their construction and illumination. The variation ''pharonology'' is occasionally attested. Those who study or are enthused by lighthouses are known as pharologists.

Origin of term

The term originally began as pharonology and is prevalent in many 1840s papers on the study of lighthouses. The term stems from the classical

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

or its

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etymon Etymology ()The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) – p. 633 "Etymology /ˌɛtɪˈmɒlədʒi/ the study of the class in words and the way their meanings have changed throughout time". is the study of the history of the form of words and ...

''Pharos'', meaning lighthouse (

Pharos The Lighthouse of Alexandria, sometimes called the Pharos of Alexandria (; Ancient Greek: ὁ Φάρος τῆς Ἀλεξανδρείας, contemporary Koine ), was a lighthouse built by the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Ancient Egypt, during the re ...

was also the proper name of the famed lighthouse of

Alexandria Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandri ...

) and the Greek root “logos" (a word or discourse) in John Purdy's ''The Colombian Navigator; Or, Sailing Directory for the American Coasts and the West-Indies''. It was again used in Purdy's ''The New Sailing Directory for the Strait of Gibraltar and the Western Division of the Mediterranean Sea: Comprehending the Coasts of Spain, France, and Italy, from Cape Trafalgar to Cape Spartivento, the Balearic Isles, Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily and the Maltese Islands, with the African Coast, from Tangier to Tripoli, Inclusive ... Improved, by Considerable Additions, to the Present Times''. The term's usage was recognized in ''The Nautical Magazine: A Journal of Papers on Subjects Connected with Maritime Affairs, Volume 13'' as "bestowing a passing notice... which has for some time cut a figure, sublime or ridiculous, in our books of sailing directions". The term, pharology, first appeared in the Transactions of the Royal Society of Arts of London in 1847 and credited its coinage as "being first introduced by the late Mr

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Purdy". ''A description and list of the lighthouses of the world, 1861'' also makes the same claim noting that the term is used to describe the study of modern lighthouses from the 1800s. The term also comes from ''Pharos''.pharology
''The Oxford English Dictionary'', 2nd ed., 1989, ''OED Online'', Oxford University Press, (subscription needed) 1 Jan. 2010.

As a study

In the 1860s the term's usage was equated to lighthouse engineering including the structure and optical systems used in the lighthouses. More recently, pharology has re-appeared as an obscure or niche area of expertise that focuses on lighthouses and signal lights that surpasses

hobby A hobby is considered to be a regular activity that is done for enjoyment, typically during one's leisure time. Hobbies include collecting themed items and objects, engaging in creative and artistic pursuits, playing sports, or pursuing oth ...

interests. Patrick Barkham of

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

noted the association with trainspotters, but Vikki Gilson of Trinity House noted that a wide spectrum of interest in lighthouses is shared by both young and old.

Notable pharologists

* John Purdy, coiner of the term. *

PFT Commenter PFT Commenter (alternatively spelled PFTCommenter or Pro Football Talk Commenter) is a sports media personality portrayed by Eric Sollenberger. Sollenberger, in the persona of PFT Commenter, is a sportswriter who covers the National Football Lea ...

Thomas Stevenson Thomas Stevenson PRSE MInstCE FRSSA FSAScot (22 July 1818 – 8 May 1887) was a pioneering Scottish civil engineer, lighthouse designer and meteorologist, who designed over thirty lighthouses in and around Scotland, as well as the Stevenson s ...

, father of

Robert Louis Stevenson Robert Louis Stevenson (born Robert Lewis Balfour Stevenson; 13 November 1850 – 3 December 1894) was a Scottish novelist, essayist, poet and travel writer. He is best known for works such as ''Treasure Island'', ''Strange Case of Dr Jekyll a ...

* Princess Anne, the Princess Royal *Douglas Hague * Kenneth Sutton-Jones * Jeremy D'Entremont * Ken Trethewey *Peter Williams *Alan Yates * F. Ross Holland * Peter GellatlyPeter Gellatly. Following The Lights, Author, Scotland (2018)

References

External links

*Pharology Website: http://www.pharology.eu . Reference source for the history and development of lighthouses of the world. {{Lighthouses Lighthouses