Dehellenization

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

  1. The process of eliminating or reducing elements of ancient Greek culture, language, philosophy, or practices from a society or context ; the decline or removal of Hellenic influence in academic, social, or cultural settings ; the transformation involving the loss or rejection of Greek-derived ideas, customs, or art forms in various domains
  2. The act of undoing or reversing the spread of Greek civilization’s impact on other cultures ; the diminishing presence of Greek historical and intellectual traditions within a population or institution ; the deliberate distancing from or suppression of Greek cultural characteristics in cultural evolution
  3. The systematic reduction of Greek cultural, linguistic, or philosophical traits in a given area ; the fading or withdrawal of Hellenic artistic or intellectual imprints in history or society ; the process by which Greek contributions become less prominent or are consciously discarded in cultural development

Etymology: Dehellenization is a plain formation: the prefix "de-" (meaning removal or reversal) attached to "Hellenization," itself built from "Hellen," the Greek name for the Greeks and their land, plus the suffix "-ize," meaning to make or become like. Hellenization describes the spread of Greek language and culture, and dehellenization is the opposite movement, stripping that influence away. The word is American in its spelling. The Oxford standard British form is "dehellenisation," which keeps the same sense and shows the British preference for "-is-" over "-iz-" in words of this type. Both spellings name the same process. The term's usage is tied to the idea of Hellenic influence as something a culture can absorb and then reject. Its meaning is thus defined in opposition to the older word, so it is best understood as the reverse of Hellenization rather than as an independent coinage with its own separate history.

Synonyms: de-Greekification, de-Hellenization, deracination from Greek culture

Antonyms: Hellenization, Greekification, Hellenism