feminize
UK[ˈfemɪnaɪz]US[ˈfemənaɪz]
v
to cause (someone or something) to have qualities traditionally associated with women or females.
v
to make (something) more suited to or characteristic of women.
Morpheme Breakdown
femin
ize
femin
woman
ize
verb-forming suffix
Etymology
the word 'feminize' is a modern english formation built upon a classical latin root. the core element 'femin' derives directly from the latin noun 'femina', meaning 'woman' or 'female', which itself has a debated proto-indo-european origin, possibly related to roots for 'suckling' or 'nourishing'. this root was adopted into english, primarily through old french, to form words relating to the female sex. the productive suffix '-ize', with its origins in ancient greek verb endings, was attached to this root to create a verb meaning 'to make feminine'. the logical construction is transparent: combining a root denoting 'female' with a suffix meaning 'to make' results in the modern abstract sense of imparting female characteristics.
Analysis
Structure: femin (woman) + ize (verb-forming suffix)
- femin: from latin 'femina', meaning 'woman'. functions as the root carrying the core semantic content of 'female'.
- ize: from greek '-izein' via latin '-izare' and old french '-iser', a verb-forming suffix meaning 'to make, to become, to render'.
Examples
some argue that certain marketing campaigns deliberately feminize products to target a specific audience.
the policy aims to feminize the leadership structure by promoting more women into executive roles.
hormones administered during the treatment can feminize certain physical traits.