asiatize
|a-si-a-tize|
/ˈeɪʒətaɪz/
make or portray as Asian
Etymology
'asiatize' originates from English, specifically formed from the noun 'Asia' + the verb-forming suffix '-ize', where 'Asia' ultimately comes from Greek 'Asía' (Ἀσία) referring to the continent 'Asia'.
'asiatize' was coined in modern English by analogue with verbs like 'Africanize' and 'Europeanize' (formed in the 18th–19th centuries) by attaching '-ize' to 'Asia' to create a verb meaning 'make or become Asian'.
Initially, it was used neutrally to mean 'to make or become Asian' or 'to adapt to Asian style'; over time it has also acquired a critical/pejorative sense of 'to portray or stereotype as Asian' (especially in cultural or colonial contexts).
Meanings by Part of Speech
Verb 1
to make or render something Asian in character, style, or appearance; to give Asian characteristics to.
To asiatize the building's facade, the designer added motifs inspired by East Asian architecture.
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Verb 2
to portray, treat, or stereotype people, places, or cultures as 'Asian' in a simplified, exoticized, or pejorative way (often critical/derogatory).
Critics argued that the novelist tried to asiatize the region rather than represent its diversity.
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Last updated: 2025/10/28 21:46