Hellenising

Part of speech: verb, adjective

Definitions

1. Making a people, place or thing Greek in character, customs or culture ; bringing Greek language and civilization into a region or group
2. Giving something a Greek style, spirit or cultural identity ; spreading Greek learning, language and ways of life among other peoples
3. Rendering a person or place distinctly Greek in manner and culture ; introducing Greek language, thought and institutions to a population

Etymology: "Hellenising" is the British spelling of "hellenizing," the present participle and gerund of "hellenise" (in American spelling, "hellenize"). The verb comes from "Hellene," the Greek word for a Greek person, which in turn traces back to the name of the Greek people. Its sense, to make something Greek in character or culture, is shaped by the same root that gives English words such as "Hellenic" and "Hellenism." The "-ise" ending is a common English verb-forming suffix, borrowed through French from Greek "-izein," which was used to form verbs meaning "to imitate or follow the manner of" something. So the core of the word is a Greek name plus a suffix that turns that name into an action.