Hellenize
/ˈhɛl.əˌnaɪz/noun
To make Greek in language, culture, or character.
Did you know?The word comes from Greek Hellenizein, literally “to speak Greek” or “act like a Greek,” and it became a loaded cultural term in the Hellenistic world, where language itself was a marker of identity and power.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
Ἑλληνίζειν (hellēnizein)
“to speak Greek; to behave like a Greek”
Late Greek / Hellenistic
Greek
Ἑλληνίζειν
“to adopt Greek language or customs”
Late Latin
Latin
hellenizare
“to make Greek; to Greekify”
Middle French
French
helléniser
“to make Greek in language or culture”
16th Century
English
hellenize
“to make Greek in language, style, or culture”
Modern English
English
hellenize
“to adopt Greek language, culture, or characteristics”
Explore more surprising origins