As defined by Webster's Ninth New Collegiate
Dictionary (Springfield: Merriam-Webster, 1984):
philately \fə-'lat-əl-ē\ n
[French philatélie, from phil- + Greek ateleia tax exemption, from
atelēs free from tax, from
a- + telos tax; akin to Greek telein to pay, tlēnai to bear;
from the fact that a stamped letter frees the recipient from paying the mailing
charges] (ca. 1865) : the collection and study of postage and imprinted stamps :
stamp collecting — philatelic \'fil-ə-'tel-ik\ adj —philatelically
\-i-k(ə)lē\ adv
philatelist \fə-'lat-əl-əst\ n
(ca. 1865) : a specialist in philately : one
who collects or studies stamps
A few good links to
philatelic organizations follow. Many more possibilities can be found,
however. Countries' postal services provide an excellent source of
information.
