nationalization
UK[ˌnæʃ.nə.laɪˈzeɪ.ʃən]US[ˌnæʃ.nə.ləˈzeɪ.ʃən]
n
The process of bringing an industry or company under the control or ownership of the state.
n
The process of making something national in character or scope.
Morpheme Breakdown
nation
al
ization
nation
people, country
al
adjective suffix
ization
process of making
Etymology
The word 'nationalization' is built upon the core Latin concept of natio, meaning a people or tribe united by birth. The suffix -al transforms this into the adjective 'national', pertaining to a country as a whole. The final and decisive component, -ization, is a powerful suffix hybrid of Greek and Latin origins that denotes the act or process of causing something to become a certain state. Therefore, the literal morphemic logic is "the process of making something national." This perfectly captures its primary modern economic meaning: the process by which a state brings private assets under public, national control, extending the idea of collective ownership from a tribe to the nation-state.
Analysis
Structure: nation (people, country) + al (adjective suffix) + ization (process of making)
- nation: From Latin nation-, natio (birth, tribe, people), from natus, past participle of nasci (to be born). Functions as the core noun root.
- al: From Latin -alis (adjective-forming suffix). Functions to convert the noun 'nation' into the adjective 'national'.
- ization: A compound suffix from -ize (verb-forming suffix, from Greek -izein) + -ation (noun-forming suffix, from Latin -atio). Functions to create a noun meaning 'the process or result of making something [adjective]'.
Examples
The government debated the nationalization of the railway system.
After the revolution, a wave of nationalization swept the country's key industries.
The policy led to the nationalization of several major banks.