Exoticisms

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Uncommon or foreign elements introduced into a language or culture
2. stylistic features or expressions that originate from distant cultures
3. the inclusion of striking, unusual characteristics or terms that create an impression of foreignness

Etymology: "Exoticisms" is the plural of "exoticism," which is built from "exotic" plus the suffix "-ism." The suffix, borrowed through Latin and Greek, is a common way English turns an adjective into a noun for a practice, quality, or doctrine, as in "realism" or "heroism." The adjective "exotic" traces back through Latin "exoticus" to Greek "exōtikos," meaning "foreign" or "from outside," built from "exō," "outside." Its sense of "strange, unfamiliar, and attractive because of that" grew out of the simple idea of something coming from elsewhere. When English speakers added "-ism," they created a noun for the quality of being foreign or unusual, and the plural form names the individual foreign elements themselves, such as borrowed words, customs, or styles that enter a language or culture.

Synonyms: foreignness, strangeness, novelty, unusualness, eccentricity

Antonyms: familiarity, ordinariness, commonness, conformity, normality