'foreignization' originates from English, specifically from the verb 'foreignize' plus the suffix '-ation', where 'foreign' meant 'outside (of one's country)' and the suffix '-ize' meant 'to make or to render'.

'foreign' came into English via Old French (forain/forain) and ultimately from Latin 'foris' meaning 'outside'; the verb 'foreignize' was formed in modern English to mean 'make foreign', and adding the noun-forming suffix '-ation' produced 'foreignization'.

Initially 'foreign' meant simply 'from outside', but over time derivatives like 'foreignize' and 'foreignization' evolved to mean 'to make something foreign' and, in specialist contexts (e.g., translation studies), 'to preserve foreign elements'.