internalizing

The word 'internalizing' is built upon the Latin adjective internus, meaning "inward" or "on the inside," which itself derives from the comparative form of inter, meaning "among, between." The suffix -al was added to form the English adjective 'internal,' denoting something situated within. The final layer, the verb-forming suffix -ize (with its present participle ending -ing), transforms the concept into an active process. Thus, the literal construction "to make internal" elegantly captures the modern psychological and sociological meaning: the process by which external ideas, rules, or feelings are absorbed and adopted as one's own.

Structure: inter (within) + nal (adjective suffix) + izing (verb suffix) - inter: From Latin internus meaning "inward, internal." In this word, it functions as the core root conveying the sense of "inside" or "within." - nal: A suffix of Latin origin (-alis) used to form adjectives meaning "of or pertaining to," here turning the root into the adjective "internal." - izing: A verb-forming suffix from Greek (-izein) via Latin and French, meaning "to make, to become, to render." It converts the adjective into a verb meaning "to make internal."