Vulgarizations

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The act of making something crude or unrefined, often in a way that strips it of its original sophistication
2. The process of simplifying complex ideas into more accessible, yet potentially less tasteful forms
3. A transformation that turns elevated content into more ordinary or base expressions, sometimes detracting from its quality

Etymology: "Vulgarization" is simply "vulgar" with the suffix "-ization" attached, and the sum of the two parts is almost literal. "Vulgar" came into English from Latin "vulgaris," meaning "of the common people" or "common, ordinary," from "vulgus," the crowd. The sense of coarseness or bad taste grew out of that social meaning, as things belonging to the masses were often judged crude by those above them. The suffix does the work of turning an adjective into a process. It descends from Greek verbs ending in "-izein," which passed through Late Latin "-izare" and Old French "-iser" before reaching Middle English "-isen" and then the modern "-ize." The "-ation" ending, borrowed through Old French from Latin "-ātiō," names the act or result of doing something. Joined together, "vulgarization" denotes the action of making something common, coarse, or cheapened.

Synonyms: simplifications, misrepresentations