Francophonize

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Making a region, institution or population adopt French as its main language and cultural norm
2. Bringing a place or group under French linguistic and cultural influence so that French becomes predominant
3. Causing a community or territory to take on French speech, customs and identity in place of its former ones

Etymology: "Francophonize" is formed from "Francophone," which itself was coined in the 1880s by the French geographer Onésime Reclus, who used "francophonie" to describe French-speaking peoples and territories. The "-phone" element comes from Greek "phōnē," meaning "voice" or "sound," the same root behind "telephone" and "symphony." The Greek-derived "-phone" suffix thus means speaking or sounding, so "Francophone" is literally "French-voiced." The verb adds "-ize," a suffix from Greek "-izein" that turns nouns and adjectives into verbs meaning to make or cause something to become. "Francophonize" therefore means to make someone or something French-speaking. It is a recent formation, built on the existing "Francophone" rather than inherited from older English, and it is far less common than its root.