ghettoization
UK[ˌɡetəʊaɪˈzeɪʃən]US[ˌɡetoʊəˈzeɪʃən]
n
The process of making an area a ghetto or of becoming a ghetto; the social and economic isolation of a group, especially in a city.
Morpheme Breakdown
ghetto
ize
ation
ghetto
ize
to make, to become, to treat in a specified way
ation
Etymology
The word's journey begins with the Italian 'ghetto', a term for a segregated district, which itself likely derives from Venetian 'ghèto' for a foundry or casting site. The suffix '-ize', entering English via Latin and French from Greek '-izein', is attached to form the verb 'ghettoize', meaning 'to make into a ghetto'. Finally, the Latinate suffix '-ation' is added to create the noun 'ghettoization', denoting the process or result of this action. Thus, the term's literal construction—'the process of making into a ghetto'—directly reflects its modern sociological meaning of enforced segregation and isolation.
Analysis
Structure: ghetto + ize + ation
- ghetto: Italian origin, from Venetian 'ghèto', referring to the foundry area where Jews were confined in 16th-century Venice. In this word, it functions as the base noun.
- ize: A verb-forming suffix of Greek origin (via Latin -izare), meaning 'to make, to become, to treat in a specified way'.
- ation: A noun-forming suffix of Latin origin (via Old French -ation), indicating an action, process, or result.
Examples
The rapid ghettoization of the neighborhood was driven by discriminatory housing policies.
Sociologists study the patterns of urban ghettoization and its long-term effects on communities.
The report warned against the economic ghettoization of the immigrant population.