Germanizing

Part of speech: verb, noun

Definitions

1. The process of adopting or adapting elements of German language, culture, or customs into another language or society; the act of making something characteristically German; the influence or imposition of German features on language, culture, or identity
2. Incorporating German linguistic traits or cultural aspects into a different context; the transformation or modification of language or customs to resemble those of Germany; the spread or enforcement of German norms within another group or environment
3. The act of converting expressions, traditions, or social practices to reflect German origin or style; applying German language rules or cultural standards to foreign systems; the integration of German characteristics into non-German usage or lifestyle

Etymology: The verb "Germanize" is a plain coinage: the Germanic-stemmed name "German" combined with the suffix "-ize," which English took through Middle French from Late Latin and ultimately from Ancient Greek, where "-izein" formed verbs meaning "to make into or act like something." Adding the suffix to a people's name yields a verb meaning "to make something German in character, language or form," and "germanizing" is simply that action in progress. The suffix has a longer career than the word it sits on. Ancient Greek used "-izein" to build verbs such as "Hellenizein," meaning to speak or behave like a Greek, and Late Latin passed the pattern along to medieval Europe, where it became a productive tool for coining verbs from nouns and adjectives. English inherited the ending in the Middle English period and kept it alive, so that "Germanize" could be formed on demand from "German" centuries later, following the same model as "Christianize" and "Americanize."