marginalization
Meaning
the process of making a person or group feel less important or powerful, often by placing them in a position of little influence or by ignoring their needs and rights.
the act of treating something as marginal or of secondary importance.
Structure
Usage
the policy led to the further marginalization of minority communities.
there is a risk of marginalization for older workers in the technology sector.
her book examines the historical marginalization of women in science.
Etymology
the word's journey begins with the latin noun 'margo', meaning a border or edge, which passed into english as 'margin'. the addition of the adjectival suffix '-al' created 'marginal', describing something situated at the edge or of secondary importance. the final layer, '-ization', a complex suffix of greek and latin lineage, transforms the adjective into a process noun. thus, 'marginalization' literally narrates the process of being pushed to the edge, evolving from a concrete spatial concept to a powerful abstract term describing social and political exclusion.
Analysis
- margin: from latin 'margo' (edge, border). serves as the core root noun. - al: from latin '-alis' (pertaining to). suffix forming adjectives from nouns. - ization: from greek '-izein' (verb-forming suffix) via latin '-izare' and french '-isation', combined with the noun-forming suffix '-tion'. creates a noun denoting a process or result.