Barbarize

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ˈbɑː(ɹ)bəɹaɪz/

Definitions

1. To turn an individual or community into a more uncivilized state characterized by brutality or lack of refinement
2. To degrade the culture or manners of a person or group into a rough or wild state
3. To cause someone to become less civilized by introducing harsh, unsophisticated qualities

Etymology: The Greeks coined "barbaros" for anyone whose speech sounded to them like unintelligible "bar-bar" noise, so the root originally described language, not character. Greek writers applied it to foreigners generally, including the Persians, and it carried no inherent judgment of cruelty. The Romans borrowed it as "barbarus," and over time it came to mean wild, savage, or unrefined. English took the root from Latin and added "-ize," a suffix that turns nouns and adjectives into verbs meaning "to make or become." To barbarize something is therefore to make it barbarous, reversing a process of civilization. The verb is usually used of people, cultures, or institutions, and it describes a decline into brutality or coarseness rather than simple foreignness.

Synonyms: savage, brutalize, uncivilize, mutilate, dehumanize