Gallicization

/ˌɡælɪsɪˈzeɪʃən/ noun

Definition

The process of making something French in character, style, or language, or adopting French customs and culture.

Etymology

From French 'gallique' (relating to Gaul/France) + '-ization' (suffix meaning process). The root comes from Latin 'Gallia' (Gaul, the ancient name for France) and evolved through Middle French to describe the cultural transformation process.

Kelly Says

This word captures a real historical phenomenon—during the medieval period, Norman French so heavily influenced English after 1066 that English became riddled with French vocabulary; gallicization was literally reshaping how people spoke and thought across Europe.

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