Archaicize

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ɑː(ɹ)ˈkeɪ.ɪ.saɪz/

Definitions

1. To cause something to become archaic or resemble an older or obsolete style
2. To render language, style, or items characteristic of an earlier period and no longer in common use
3. To transform or adopt forms that belong to a previous historical era, making the subject appear old-fashioned

Etymology: "Archaicize" is a plain formation: the adjective "archaic," itself borrowed into English from French "archaïque," which came from Greek "arkhaikos," meaning "ancient" or "old-fashioned," and "-ize," the suffix that turns a noun or adjective into a verb meaning "make or cause to be" something. Put together, the verb means to make something seem old, outdated, or out of step with the present. The more interesting part is the sense the suffix carries. "-ize" has been used since the Greek "-izein" to build verbs of making, and English has used it for centuries to coin new verbs, often in technical or scholarly contexts. "Archaicize" follows that pattern exactly, so it describes a deliberate act as much as a passive state: a writer who archaicizes dialogue is intentionally dressing it in older forms, and a translator who archaicizes a text gives it the feel of an earlier era.

Synonyms: antiquate, obsolete, old-fashioned

Antonyms: modernize, update, revise