Dehispanizing

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. The process of removing or reversing Spanish cultural, linguistic, or historical influences from a place, person, or context ; the act of erasing or diminishing elements derived from Spanish origin ; eliminating Spanish traits or characteristics to restore or promote alternative identities
2. Undertaking the reduction or elimination of Spanish language, customs, or heritage, often to reclaim indigenous or local traditions ; the systematic effort to undo Spanish colonial or cultural imprint ; stripping away Spanish influences to emphasize non-Spanish cultural attributes
3. The act of discarding Spanish linguistic and cultural components in favor of native or other cultural features ; reversing the integration of Spanish elements imposed through colonization or assimilation ; purging or minimizing Spanish aspects to highlight diverse or original identities

Etymology: The word is a stack of affixes built on a place name. At its base is "Hispania," the Roman name for the Iberian Peninsula, which gave Latin the adjective "Hispanus" and, through it, the English "Hispanic." Adding the suffix "-ize," which turns a noun or adjective into a verb meaning "make into" or "make like," produces "hispanize," to make something Spanish in character or influence. The prefix "de-," from Latin "de" meaning "away from" or "undo," reverses that process, so "dehispanize" means to strip out Spanish influence. The ending "-ing" turns the verb into a participle or gerund, which is how the word appears in sentences such as "the dehispanizing of the curriculum." It is a rare, transparently built formation, and its meaning follows directly from its parts.

Synonyms: removing Hispanic influence, de-Spanishizing

Antonyms: Hispanizing, Spanishizing, influencing Hispanic culture