Deitalianising

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To remove or reverse the characteristics, cultural traits, or influence associated with Italy or Italians; to transform something so that it no longer reflects Italian origin or style; to strip away Italian aspects from a person, object, or concept
2. The process of eliminating Italian features, traditions, or associations from a subject; modifying or adapting something so that it ceases to embody Italian identity or qualities; detaching or distancing from Italian cultural elements
3. The act of undoing Italian influence or heritage in objects, customs, or ideas; converting something previously Italian into a form devoid of Italian attributes; erasing the Italian connection to make something less Italian in nature

Etymology: "Deitalianising" is built from three layers. The core is "Italian", borrowed in the sixteenth century from Italian "italiano" (from Latin "Italianus", derived from "Italia"). English then made the verb "italianise" to mean to make something Italian in character, and the Italian-derived suffix "-ise" (spelled "-ize" in American usage) marks the verb. The prefix "de-", from Latin "de-" meaning "down" or "away from", reverses the action, so the word means to strip away Italian influence. Each piece is an ordinary English building block, so the word is a transparent formation rather than a historical curiosity. Its use is recent and rare, the kind of word a writer coins when discussing cultural or linguistic reversal, and dictionaries typically record it as a derivative of the existing verb rather than as a separate word with its own history. Its meaning follows straightforwardly from the parts: "de-" undoes, and "italianise" supplies the action.

Antonyms: italianising