Anglicization

Anglicization is the process by which non-English languages, cultures, or place names adopt English forms, norms, or influence. In linguistics, it describes changes in pronunciation, vocabulary, syntax, or orthography as a language comes into contact with English, leading to more English-like features, loanwords, or calques. In a broader cultural sense, it can refer to the adoption of English institutions, media, or everyday practices within non-English-speaking societies.

Toponymic anglicization involves rendering local names in English or shifting them to English forms, often during periods of colonial rule or under administrative pressure. Personal names may also be anglicized to facilitate pronunciation and spelling in English.

Examples commonly cited include Bombay to Mumbai, Calcutta to Kolkata, Madras to Chennai, Ceylon to Sri Lanka, Burma to Myanmar, Peking to Beijing, Canton to Guangzhou, and Saigon to Ho Chi Minh City. These changes may accompany or precede political shifts, and some places later revert to local forms.

In modern policy, many places reassert local names as part of post-colonial identity. Debates center on balance between practical international communication and protection of linguistic and cultural heritage. Anglicization overlaps with transliteration and language policy, toponymy, and discussions of cultural imperialism.