ostracize
UK[ˈɒstrəsaɪz]US[ˈɑːstrəsaɪz]
v
to exclude someone from a society or group by common consent.
v
(in ancient greece) to banish a citizen from athens for ten years by popular vote.
Morpheme Breakdown
ostra
cize
ostra
shell, tile
cize
verb suffix
Etymology
the word ostracize originates from the ancient greek practice of ostracism, where citizens would inscribe the name of a person deemed a threat to the state on a potsherd or tile (an 'ostrakon'). the literal meaning of 'ostrakon' is 'shell' or 'hard surface', reflecting the common writing material. the greek verb 'ostrakizein' meant 'to banish by such a vote'. entering english via latin and french, the suffix '-ize' was added to form the verb, generalizing the meaning from a specific political procedure to the broader social act of exclusion.
Analysis
Structure: ostra (shell, tile) + cize (verb suffix)
ostra (from greek 'ostrakon', meaning a shell, potsherd, or tile used for writing); cize (a verb-forming suffix, from greek '-izein', via latin '-izare' and old french '-iser').
Examples
after the scandal, he was ostracized by his former colleagues.
the community decided to ostracize members who broke the strict rules.
in school, she felt ostracized for her unconventional ideas.