othering
|oth-er-ing|
/ˈʌðərɪŋ/
(other)
different or remaining
Etymology
'othering' is formed in modern English by adding the productive gerund/nominalizing suffix '-ing' to the verb 'other'. 'other' itself originates from Old English 'ōþer' (written as 'oþer'), ultimately from Proto-Germanic '*antharaz' and the Proto-Indo-European root '*h₂etero-' meaning 'other, different'.
'other' changed from Old English 'ōþer' into Middle English forms like 'other' and eventually became the modern English adjective and verb 'other'; the noun/gerund 'othering' developed later by affixing '-ing' to the verb in Modern English usage (notably gaining specialized use in 20th-century social theory).
Originally 'other' simply meant 'the second; different' (a basic distinction), but over time the verb and derived noun 'othering' acquired a specialized sense referring to social processes that mark someone as alien or inferior.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the action, process, or practice of perceiving, representing, or treating a person or group as fundamentally different, alien, or inferior; often used in discussions of social exclusion, marginalization, and identity politics.
The othering of migrants in public discourse contributed to hostile policies and social exclusion.
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Verb 1
present participle of 'other'; to treat someone as other, alien, or outside the group — i.e., to single out and devalue by emphasizing difference.
By focusing only on cultural stereotypes, commentators were othering entire communities.
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Last updated: 2025/10/29 09:49