'foreignize' originates from English, specifically formed from the adjective 'foreign' + the verb-forming suffix '-ize' (from Greek '-izein' via Latin/French), where 'foreign' meant 'of or relating to another country' and the suffix '-ize' meant 'to make or become'.

'foreign' itself comes from Old French 'forain' (or 'forain' from Medieval Latin 'foraneus') meaning 'outside' or 'from abroad'; the productive English verb-forming suffix '-ize' was borrowed ultimately from Greek through Latin and French verb-forming patterns, combining to produce 'foreignize' in modern English.

Initially the components meant 'from outside' (foreign) + 'make or become' (-ize); over time they combined into a verb meaning 'to make or render something foreign', a meaning that has been maintained in modern usage.