defamiliarization
UK[ˌdiːfəˌmɪliəraɪˈzeɪʃən]US[ˌdiːfəˌmɪliərəˈzeɪʃən]
n
The artistic technique of presenting common things in an unfamiliar or strange way in order to enhance perception of the familiar.
Morpheme Breakdown
de
familiar
ization
de
remove
familiar
well-known
ization
process of making
Etymology
The word is a modern scholarly formation, constructed from established English morphemes to describe a specific aesthetic concept. The prefix 'de-' introduces a sense of reversal or removal, acting upon the core concept of the 'familiar'—that which is intimately known and ordinary. The suffix '-ization' nominalizes the process, turning the verb 'defamiliarize' into the name for the technique itself. Thus, the literal construction "the process of making (something) un-familiar" perfectly captures the term's critical meaning: the deliberate artistic estrangement from the habitual to provoke fresh perception.
Analysis
Structure: de (remove) + familiar (well-known) + ization (process of making)
de: Latin origin, a prefix meaning "down from, off, away, removing or reversing."
familiar: Latin origin (from 'familiaris'), meaning "of a household, well-known, intimate." Functions as the core adjective.
ization: English suffix derived from Latin '-izare' via Greek '-izein', combined with '-ation'. It denotes the process or result of making something.
Examples
The poet's use of defamiliarization makes the reader see a simple sunrise as a miraculous event.
Russian Formalism introduced the concept of defamiliarization as a key function of literary art.
The film employs defamiliarization techniques, presenting a modern city from the perspective of an alien.