Dehispanize

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To remove or reduce Spanish influence, characteristics, or elements from language, culture, or identity; to transform or adapt something to be less associated with Spanish heritage or origin; to eliminate aspects linked to Spanish roots
2. To separate or strip away Hispanic cultural or linguistic traits from a person, community, or text; to convert or modify something so that Spanish connections are diminished or erased; to de-Hispanicize by making less Spanish in nature
3. To reverse the process of Hispanicization by taking away Spanish language, customs, or features; to alter or reform something to exclude or lessen its Hispanic aspects; to cleanse or distance a subject from Spanish attributes or background

Etymology: "Dehispanize" is a modern formation built from "hispanize," with the prefix "de-" meaning "remove or reverse." Its base, "hispanize," is in turn formed from the Latin "Hispania" (the Iberian Peninsula) plus the suffix "-ize," which turns a noun into a verb meaning "make like" or "bring into conformity with." So "hispanize" means to make something Spanish or Hispanic in character, and "dehispanize" reverses that process. Because "dehispanize" is a coinage built from familiar parts rather than an inherited or borrowed word, it has no older sense to trace. Its meaning follows directly from the prefix and base: to strip away or reduce Spanish influence, characteristics, or associations. It is used mainly in discussions of language, cultural policy, and identity, where people describe efforts to reduce the visibility of Spanish-origin elements.

Synonyms: de-spanish, anglicize, modernize, westernize

Antonyms: hispanize, spanicize, latinize, romanicize