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Fedi-brain-hive, I need you once again.

Is there an that means "to make permanent?" Essentially, I need the word "permanentize" to exist, but evidently it does not. Surely another word exists in its stead?

Please ! This problem has been vexing me for over three years (since I began tracking the way cities changed their street space during the pandemic and whether or not those changes were permanentized).

I'm so tired of writing "were made permanent."

The context I'm trying to address is "things that started out as temporary things but someone decided to the things should not go away, and should be upgraded as necessary to ensure they would not go away."

OOOOH getting some wonderful suggestions here from @breadandcircuses @TRiG @dx @kim_harding @DavidHarding and @Xoriff

And two strong votes for just rolling with "permanentize," which I am finding increasingly compelling.

@breadandcircuses @TRiG @dx @kim_harding @DavidHarding @Xoriff Permanentize(/ise) is just too compelling. We have a winner.

But y'all, I do have to draw the line at 'permanentization.'

@DrTCombs Maybe part of the problem is that city streets are never "permanent?" If this is in the context of temporary COVID protocols, they were adopted as policy or code.

@DrTCombs In certain contexts, solidify may work. But certainly it won't work everywhere.

@DrTCombs "Cement" and "solidify" are two that come to mind, though "cement" may be confusing in this context.

You could also just use "permanentize", since you would not be entirely alone: books.google.com/ngrams/graph?

@DrTCombs
Probably none of these, but here's my quick brain dump...
embed, entrench, consolidate, solidify, stabilise, intrench, nail down, instil, inculcate?

@digesting_duck @DrTCombs my feeling would be for establish, but I don’t think it has the same strength it would’ve had 50 or 100 years ago
Can’t see any reason for not using permanentise though

@DrTCombs @breadandcircuses @TRiG @dx @kim_harding @DavidHarding @Xoriff formalized, would come close in a context of spatial/legal arrangements. But permanentize is a very nice angle!

@DrTCombs That perfectly describes the 6 counties of Ireland that remain a part of the UK. It was a temporary arrangement that has lasted over 100 years. Permanentized.

@DrTCombs whoa that's wild. Like some of the other replies, my first thought was of the more specific "enshrine". Frustrating that there isn't one that's as general as "permanent" though :-/

Personally, I love verbification and would updoot any usage of "permanentize". Has a fun cadence to it too. But I get wanting something more "real" if it's in a more serious-writing context. (Also thanks for bringing my attention to #language. Gonna be adding that to my follow list)

@Transportist ok, now I'm dangerously tempted to do find/replace with 'congeal.'

@DrTCombs The only one that springs to mind for me is "sustain" mainly because I am trying to sustain things in my work! Also "embed", but totally fine with making words up too if that works 😜

@sflkirk
That's actually a pretty apt option for this context!

@DrTCombs not exact, but memorialize can be used like that. Kind of like one word for set in stone.

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