Paganizes

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To convert or adapt something to non-Christian or ancient polytheistic religious beliefs; to make something pagan in character or style; to infuse with the customs and practices of pre-Christian traditions
2. The act of transforming an idea, place, or tradition by incorporating pagan religious elements; changing or shaping to reflect ancient polytheistic faiths; to make characteristic of paganism
3. To alter or reinterpret in a manner consistent with pagan doctrines and rituals; to render a practice or belief system pagan; to imbue with the spirit or manners of ancestral non-monotheistic worship

Etymology: "Paganizes" is the third-person singular form of "paganize," which means to convert someone to heathenism or make them pagan. The verb is built from "pagan" and the suffix "-ize," a combination that English has used since the Middle Ages for verbs meaning to make or become something. The suffix has a long route into English. It goes back to Ancient Greek "-izein," which turned nouns and adjectives into verbs of making or doing. Latin borrowed it as "-izare" and it came into Old French as "-iser," and Middle English took it in as "-isen." Over time the spelling settled into "-ize" in English, though British publishers have often preferred "-ise." "Pagan" itself comes from Latin "paganus," originally meaning a country dweller or rustic, and later came to mean someone outside the Christian community. So "paganize" is, at root, a verb about turning someone into an outsider to the dominant faith.