Balkanization
to divide (a country, territory, etc.) into small, quarrelsome, ineffectual states.
(often lowercase) to divide (groups, areas, etc.) into contending and usually ineffectual factions:
a movement to balkanize minority voters.
contemporary examples
this brings us to “malkinization”‘s other virtue as a term: the allusion to “balkanization”.
twitchy! mich-lle malkin’s phony war tom doran april 9, 2013
verb
(transitive) to divide (a territory) into small warring states
to divide (a group or organization) into small factions
v.
1920, first used in reference to the baltic states, on the model of what had happened in the balkans; said to have been coined by english editor james louis garvin (1868-1947), but a.j. toynbee (1922) credited it to “german socialists” describing the results of the treaty of brest-litovsk. either way, the reference is to the political situation in the balkans c.1878-1913, when the european section of the ottoman empire split up into small, warring nations. balkanized and balkanization both also are from 1920.
balkanization [(bawl-kuh-nuh-zay-shuhn)]
division of a place or country into several small political units, often unfriendly to one another. the term balkanization comes from the name of the balkan peninsula, which was divided into several small nations in the early twentieth century.
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given to balking; stubborn; obstinate: a balky mule. contemporary examples then, with wind blowing him out horizontal under the wing, he hooks a boot on that balky wheel, kicks the mother home. the ballad of johnny france richard ben cramer january 11, 2014 historical examples o foolish minister, trying in that way to manage a […]
- Balking
to stop, as at an obstacle, and refuse to proceed or to do something specified (usually followed by at): he balked at making the speech. (of a horse, mule, etc.) to stop short and stubbornly refuse to go on. baseball. to commit a balk. to place an obstacle in the way of; hinder; thwart: a […]
- Balkis
noun the name in the koran of the queen of sheba2 historical examples if now you have spoken truth, take this letter to queen balkis; then come away. the curious book of birds abbie farwell brown while i study astronomy i think neither of balkis nor anything else on earth. balthasar anatole france balkis trembled […]
- Balks
to stop, as at an obstacle, and refuse to proceed or to do something specified (usually followed by at): he balked at making the speech. (of a horse, mule, etc.) to stop short and stubbornly refuse to go on. baseball. to commit a balk. to place an obstacle in the way of; hinder; thwart: a […]
- Ball ammunition
noun live small-arms ammunition historical examples in that case he had still nine rounds of ball ammunition, and, if he wished to run amuck, held as many lives in his hand. life in an indian outpost gordon c-sserly three parties, of three men in each party, were selected, and armed with the old muzzle-loading muskets […]