Arabized

Part of speech: adjective, verb

Definitions

1. Describing a term or text that has been adapted to Arabic language or cultural norms ; indicating the process of rendering a word or phrase into an Arabic form ; referring to the modification of content to suit Arabic linguistic or cultural context
2. Characterizing expressions or materials changed to conform with Arabic linguistic features ; denoting the transformation of foreign words into Arabic script or phonetics ; pertaining to the assimilation of language elements to Arabic customs and usage
3. Referring to the alteration of vocabulary or content to an Arabic style or structure ; signifying the translation or transcription of words into Arabic ; identifying the adaptation of communication forms to fit Arabic language conventions

Etymology: Arab, the name of the people and their language and land, is the base, and the "-ize" ending is a verb-forming suffix that traces back through Middle French and Late Latin to ancient Greek "-izein," a pattern used to build verbs meaning "to make into" or "to conform to" something. Adding it to Arab gives a verb meaning to make something conform to Arabic people, language, or culture. The past form "arabized" is simply that verb in its past tense and past participle, and it can describe a place, a text, or a population that has been brought under Arabic language and customs. The suffix itself arrived in English by a long route. The Greek ending spread into Late Latin, passed into Old French as "-iser," and reached Middle English as "-isen," which later became "-ize" in English spelling. English speakers therefore borrowed a suffix that had already been used for centuries, and they could attach it to almost any name or noun to create a new verb.

Synonyms: Arabianized, Arabified, arabicized

Antonyms: de-Arabized, dearabized, unarabized