Gallicized

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To be changed in a way that incorporates aspects of French culture and identity To have been influenced by French customs resulting in a distinct adaptation To have undergone transformations that reflect Gallic traits and societal norms
2. Altered to adopt elements of French language or cultural style
3. Transformed by incorporating characteristics typical of France or its people

Etymology: "Gallicized" is the past form of "gallicize," which means to alter something so that it takes on French language or cultural habits. The verb is built from "Gallic," meaning "of or relating to Gaul," plus the suffix "-ize," which turns a noun or adjective into a verb meaning "to make into" or "to cause to become." The root goes back to Latin "Gallicus," which described the region of Gaul, the ancient territory covering much of modern France, Belgium, and parts of neighboring countries. The sense of "Gaul" standing in for France is the twist here. English used "Gallic" and related forms for modern France itself, a usage that has grown archaic, so "gallicize" still carries a faint echo of the ancient Roman name for the land. A reader meeting the word today may not notice that it points back two thousand years to a region that was never one nation in the way modern France is.

Synonyms: frenchified