masculinize
Meaning
to cause a person or thing to develop male characteristics or qualities.
to make something more typical of or suitable for men.
Structure
Usage
the hormone therapy can masculinize certain physical features.
some critics argue that the marketing campaign unnecessarily masculinizes the product to appeal to a specific demographic.
the process is known to masculinize the behavior of the fish during the breeding season.
Etymology
the word masculinize is a modern english formation, built upon the existing adjective 'masculine'. the core element 'masculin' traces back to latin 'masculinus', itself a derivative of 'masculus' meaning 'male', which is a diminutive of 'mas' meaning 'male, man'. this latin root is connected to the broader proto-indo-european concept of maleness. the suffix 'ize', entering english via old french from latin '-izare' and ultimately greek '-izein', is a productive suffix for creating verbs meaning 'to render, to make into'. therefore, the literal construction 'to make masculine' directly informs its modern medical, biological, and sociological meanings of imparting male traits or characteristics.
Analysis
masculin is derived from the latin word 'masculinus', meaning 'male, masculine'. ize is a verb-forming suffix of greek origin via latin and french, meaning 'to make, to become, to treat with'.