Africanize

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To give something African characteristics, influence, or cultural identity
2. To bring under African management, ownership, or cultural dominance
3. To imbue with African qualities or to transfer authority to African hands

Etymology: "Africanize" is formed from "African" with the verb-forming suffix "-ize," which turns a noun or adjective into a verb meaning to make or cause something to be a certain way. Here the base is the adjective "African," so the word means to make something African in character, or to bring it under African control or African identity. The suffix does most of the work. "-ize" entered English through Latin and Greek routes and has been productive for centuries, which is why it can be attached to almost any adjective or noun. "Africanize" follows the same pattern as "Americanize" or "Anglicize," and its meaning shifts with context: it can describe cultural change, the replacement of foreign staff with local people in a workplace or government, or the adaptation of an institution to African conditions.

Synonyms: indigenize, localize

Antonyms: westernize, europeanize