nostrify

English

WOTD – 28 July 2009

Etymology

From Latin noster (“our”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈnɒs.tɹɪ.faɪ/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈnɑs.tɹə.faɪ/

Verb

nostrify (third-person singular simple present nostrifies, present participle nostrifying, simple past and past participle nostrified)

1. To nostrificate; to grant recognition to a degree from a foreign university.
   • 1936, Statistics of Land-grant Colleges and Universities, page 17:

     The status of academic school is conferred on any institution by a special law, and only academic schools are authorized to confer degrees and nostrify degrees granted Polish citizens abroad.

   • 1997, “The Polish Review”, in (Please provide the book title or journal name), volume 42, page 81:

     He wanted to lecture on medicine and for that reason planned to nostrify his Paduan doctorate.

2. To adopt, accept, or include as part of one's own culture.
   • 2000, “Indian journal of Secularism”, in (Please provide the book title or journal name), volume 5, page 12:

     (We 'nostrify' a certain opinion, accept it etc.) This means that the identity of the subject becomes enlarged.

   • 2003, Berndt Ostendorf, “Eating New Orleans Style”, in Christa Grewe-Volpp, Werner Reinhart, editors, Erlesenes Essen, page 99:

     New Orleans palates nostrify incoming cuisines thanks to a pervasive eating will bred into generations of enthusiastic eaters.

   • 2007, Benjamin Schliesser, Abraham's Faith in Romans 4, footnote 164, page 413:

     Paul shows the Christian believers their place in the divine faith-righteousness, but does not "nostrify" Abraham in Christian terms.

Derived terms

• nostrification

Translations

to grant recognition to a foreign degree

• Finnish: tunnustaa (fi)
• German: nostrifizieren (de)
• Polish: nostryfikować (pl) impf
• Russian: нострифицировать (nostrificirovatʹ)

to adopt, accept, or include as part of one's own culture

• Finnish: omaksua (fi)
• German: nostrifizieren (de)