Indigenizes

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To make elements or practices native to a specific locale, integrating them within the local culture while transforming their character
2. To adapt or modify something so that it fits naturally within a particular local context or culture
3. To change or adjust foreign elements in a way that they become accepted and typical of a local area

Etymology: "Indigenizes" is the third-person singular form of "indigenize," so the story belongs to the verb itself. It is built from "indigenous," which in turn comes from Latin "indigena," a word for a native or someone born in a place, combining "indu," an old form of "in," with "gena," meaning "born" or "produced." The "-ize" ending, from Greek "-izein," turns the adjective into a verb meaning to make something conform to a certain condition or character. So to indigenize something is, literally, to make it native. The verb is the one that carries the idea of fitting into a local setting. Something foreign, such as a religion, a musical style, or a business, is reshaped until it takes on the qualities of the place that receives it, rather than remaining an outsider. The meaning therefore moves from the plain sense of birth in a place to the more active sense of making something belong.

Synonyms: localizes, regionalizes

Antonyms: globalizes, foreignizes