Francophonized

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Having been made French in language, customs, or cultural character, often through outside influence or deliberate policy
2. Converted into something French in speech, manners, or cultural identity, especially under foreign pressure or imitation
3. Brought under French linguistic or cultural influence so as to take on French traits and character

Etymology: The root of this verb is a Germanic people's name. "Franco-" comes from Medieval Latin "Francus," the Franks, the Germanic tribe whose name gave France its name. "Francophone," a French-speaking person or thing, pairs that with Greek "phōnē," voice or speech. So a francophone is, literally, a Frankish-speaker, even though the Franks spoke a Germanic language that had little to do with modern French. "Francophonize" adds the suffix "-ize," from Greek "-izein," which passed into English through Latin and French and forms verbs meaning "to make" or "to cause to become." To francophonize something is to make it French-speaking, such as a school, a government or a region's public life. The verb is much newer than its base word, and it is usually used in discussions of language policy.