fetishism

Definition

The attachment of erotic feelings to a nonsexual object or objects. Sexual fetishes, like all perversions, are deeply rooted in the psyche; fetishists are almost exclusively men who eroticize easily over specific body parts.
Etymology: From the Latin facticius / factitius , made by art, artificial, manufactured, and from the 15 ^th century Portuguse term for the relics of a saint and religious artifacts that had spiritual or magic properties. Portuguese explorers to West Africa later extended the term to include the indigenous magic charms and sculpted idols of the natives. A Portuguese physician or an African medicine man who produced miracles was known as a feissero , a fetisher.