Deitalianised

Part of speech: adjective, verb

Definitions

1. Describing the process of removing Italian characteristics or influences from something ; having lost or been stripped of features associated with Italy or Italian culture ; indicating an object, style, or language that no longer reflects Italian origin or traits
2. Referring to the act of eliminating Italian elements or aspects from a person, place, or thing ; characterized by the absence or reduction of Italian cultural or linguistic markers ; denoting transformation away from Italian identity or appearance
3. Pertaining to the reversal or undoing of Italianization in customs, language, or appearance ; showing a decline or removal of Italian features or associations ; relating to something altered to exclude Italian influence or heritage

Etymology: "Deitalianised" is formed from "Italianised," which entered English in the early 1800s, with the prefix "de-" added to reverse it. The "-ise" ending comes from Greek "-izein" by way of French and Latin, and it marks a verb meaning to make or become like something. Adding "de-," from Latin "de-" meaning "away from" or "reversal," gives the sense of undoing that process. The prefix "de-" is productive in English and attaches to many verbs to mean removing, reversing, or stripping away a quality. "Deitalianise" follows the same pattern as older formations such as "denationalise," which describes taking a industry out of state ownership. Because it was built on demand rather than inherited, it appears mainly in discussions of language, art, cuisine, or architecture where someone wants to describe the removal of Italian influence.