Homeland

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Liberty Leading the People by Eugene Delacroix personifies the French motherland. Eugene Delacroix - La liberte guidant le peuple.jpg
Liberty Leading the People by Eugène Delacroix personifies the French motherland.

A homeland is a place where a cultural, national, or ethnic identity has formed. The definition can also mean simply one's country of birth. [1] When used as a proper noun, the Homeland, as well as its equivalents in other languages, often has ethnic nationalist connotations. A homeland may also be referred to as a fatherland, a motherland, or a mother country, depending on the culture and language of the nationality in question.

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Motherland

Bharat Mata (Mother India) statue accompanied by a lion at Yanam, India Bharat Mata bronze.jpg
Bharat Mata (Mother India) statue accompanied by a lion at Yanam, India

Motherland refers to a mother country, i.e. the place in which somebody grew up or had lived for a long enough period that somebody has formed their own cultural identity, the place that one's ancestors lived for generations, or the place that somebody regards as home, or a Metropole in contrast to its colonies. People often refer to Mother Russia as a personification of the Russian nation. The Philippines is also considered as a motherland which is derived from the word "Inang Bayan" which means "Motherland". Within the British Empire, many natives in the colonies came to think of Britain as the mother country of one, large nation. India is often personified as Bharat Mata (Mother India). The French commonly refer to France as "la mère patrie"; [2] Hispanic countries that were former Spanish colonies commonly referred to Spain as "la Madre Patria". Romans and the subjects of Rome saw Italy as the motherland (patria or terrarum parens) of the Roman Empire, in contrast to Roman provinces. [3] [4] Turks refer to Turkey as "ana vatan" (lit: mother homeland.)

Fatherland

Postcard of an Austrian and a German soldier in the First World War with the text "Shoulder to shoulder, hand in hand, for God, Emperor and Fatherland." WWI postcards German and Austrian soldiers.jpg
Postcard of an Austrian and a German soldier in the First World War with the text "Shoulder to shoulder, hand in hand, for God, Emperor and Fatherland."

Fatherland is the nation of one's "fathers", "forefathers", or ancestors. The word can also mean the country of nationality, the country in which somebody grew up, the country that somebody's ancestors lived in for generations, or the country that somebody regards as home, depending on how the individual uses it. [5]

It can be viewed as a nationalist concept, in so far as it is evocative of emotions related to family ties and links them to national identity and patriotism. It can be compared to motherland and homeland, and some languages will use more than one of these terms. [6] The national anthem of the Netherlands between 1815 and 1932, "Wien Neêrlands Bloed", makes extensive use of the parallel Dutch word, as does the current Dutch national anthem, Het Wilhelmus.

The Ancient Greek patris, fatherland, led to patrios, of our fathers and thence to the Latin patriota and Old French patriote, meaning compatriot; from these the English word patriotism is derived. The related Ancient Roman word Patria led to similar forms in modern Romance languages.

"Fatherland" was first encountered by the vast majority of citizens in countries that did not themselves use it during World War II, when it was featured in news reports associated with Nazi Germany. [7] [8] German government propaganda used its appeal to nationalism when making references to Germany and the state. [7] [8] It was used in Mein Kampf , [9] and on a sign in a German concentration camp, also signed, Adolf Hitler. [10]

The term fatherland (Vaterland) is used throughout German-speaking Europe, as well as in Dutch. National history is usually called vaderlandse geschiedenis in Dutch. Another use of the Dutch word is well known from the national anthem, "Het Wilhelmus".

In German, the word became more prominent in the 19th century. It appears in numerous patriotic songs and poems, such as Hoffmann's song Lied der Deutschen which became the national anthem in 1922. Because of the use of Vaterland in Nazi-German war propaganda, the term "Fatherland" in English has become associated with domestic British and American anti-Nazi propaganda during World War II. This is not the case in Germany itself, where the word remains used in the usual patriotic contexts.

Terms equating "Fatherland" in other Germanic languages:

A corresponding term is often used in Slavic languages, in:

Other groups that refer to their native country as a "fatherland"

Groups with languages that refer to their native country as a "fatherland" include:

Romance languages

In Romance languages, a common way to refer to one's home country is Patria/Pátria/Patrie which has the same connotation as Fatherland, that is, the nation of our parents/fathers (From the Latin, Pater, father). As patria has feminine gender, it is usually used in expressions related to one's mother, as in Italian la Madrepatria, Spanish la Madre Patria or Portuguese a Pátria Mãe (Mother Fatherland). Examples include:

Multiple references to parental forms

Uses by country

Land of one's home

In some languages, there are additional words that refer specifically to the place where one is home to, but is narrower in scope than one's nation, and often have some sort of nostalgic, fantastic, heritage connection, for example:

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wilhelmus</span> National anthem of the Netherlands

"Wilhelmus van Nassouwe", usually known just as "Wilhelmus", is the national anthem of both the Netherlands and the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It dates back to at least 1572, making it the oldest national anthem in use today, provided that the latter is defined as consisting of both a melody and lyrics. Although "Wilhelmus" was not recognized as the official national anthem until 1932, it has always been popular with parts of the Dutch population and resurfaced on several occasions in the course of Dutch history before gaining its present status. It was also the anthem of the Netherlands Antilles from 1954 to 1964.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Auferstanden aus Ruinen</span> National anthem of the German Democratic Republic

"Auferstanden aus Ruinen" was the national anthem of the German Democratic Republic (GDR), often known informally as East Germany, during its existence from 1949 to 1990.

<i>Great Patriotic War</i> (term) Term used in Russia and some other post-Soviet republics for the Eastern front in World War II

The Great Patriotic War is a term used in Russia and some other former republics of the Soviet Union to describe the conflict fought during the period from 22 June 1941 to 9 May 1945 along the many fronts of the Eastern Front of World War II, primarily between the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany. For some legal purposes, this period may be extended to 11 May 1945 to include the end of the Prague offensive.

A national anthem is a patriotic musical composition symbolizing and evoking eulogies of the history and traditions of a country or nation. The majority of national anthems are marches or hymns in style. American, Central Asian, and European nations tend towards more ornate and operatic pieces, while those in the Middle East, Oceania, Africa, and the Caribbean use a more simplistic fanfare. Some countries that are devolved into multiple constituent states have their own official musical compositions for them ; their constituencies' songs are sometimes referred to as national anthems even though they are not sovereign states.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swiss Psalm</span> National anthem of Switzerland

The "Swiss Psalm" is the national anthem of Switzerland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori</span> Quote from Horaces Odes

Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori is a line from the Odes (III.2.13) by the Roman lyric poet Horace. The line translates: "It is sweet and proper to die for one's country." The Latin word patria (homeland), literally meaning the country of one's fathers or ancestors, is the source of the French word for a country, patrie, and of the English word "patriot".

Heimat is a German word translating to 'home' or 'homeland'. The word has connotations specific to German culture, German society and specifically German Romanticism, German nationalism, German statehood and regionalism so that it has no exact English equivalent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Defender of the Fatherland Day</span> Holiday observed in several former Soviet republics

Defender of the Fatherland Day is a holiday observed in Russia, Turkmenistan, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan. It is celebrated on 23 February, except in Kazakhstan, where it is celebrated on 7 May. Ukraine abolished the holiday starting 1992 and, after the Revolution of Dignity, has instated the somewhat similar Defender of Ukraine Day on 1 October.

Al-watan, meaning homeland, heimat, country, or nation, may refer to:

<i>San Sombrèro</i> Book

San Sombrèro is a parody travel guide book examining the eponymous fictional country, described as the birthplace of tinted sunglasses and sequins. This country is set in Central America, and was created by Australian comedic writers Tom Gleisner, Santo Cilauro and Rob Sitch. Along with the other Jetlag Travel volumes, 2003's Molvanîa and 2004's Phaic Tăn, the book parodies both the language of heritage tourism and the legacy of colonialism and imperialism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rufst du, mein Vaterland</span> 1848–1961 national anthem of Switzerland

"Rufst du, mein Vaterland" is the former national anthem of Switzerland. It had the status of de facto national anthem from the formation of Switzerland as a federal state in the 1840s, until 1961, when it was replaced by the Swiss Psalm.

<i>Travail, famille, patrie</i> Official motto of Vichy France

Travail, famille, patrie was the tripartite motto of the French State during World War II. It replaced the republican motto, Liberté, égalité, fraternité of the Third French Republic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ich hab mich ergeben</span> 1949–1950 unofficial national anthem of West Germany

"Ich hab mich ergeben", originally titled "Gelübde" ("Vow"), is a German patriotic song. The text was written in 1820 by Hans Ferdinand Maßmann. It was one of the unofficial national anthems of West Germany from 1949 until 1952, when the "Deutschlandlied" was officially reinstated. Its tune is now used in the Micronesian national anthem.

Latinisationof names, also known as onomastic Latinisation, is the practice of rendering a non-Latin name in a modern Latin style. It is commonly found with historical proper names, including personal names and toponyms, and in the standard binomial nomenclature of the life sciences. It goes further than romanisation, which is the transliteration of a word to the Latin alphabet from another script. For authors writing in Latin, this change allows the name to function grammatically in a sentence through declension.

The word banua or vanua – meaning "land," "home," or "village" – occurs in several Austronesian languages. It derives from the Proto-Austronesian reconstructed form *banua. The word has particular significance in several countries.

National symbols of Poland are the tangible and intangible symbols, emblems or images that are found in Poland to represent the country's unique customs, traditions, cultural life, and its over 1000-year history. These symbols serve as the nation's portrayal of patriotism and dedication to their national identity. The Polish people and the Polish diaspora around the world take great pride in their native country, and associate themselves with the colours white and red. The expression biało-czerwoni ("whitereds") is widely used by Poles when referring to their compatriots. A crowned white-tailed eagle on a red shield or background has been Poland's national symbol and coat of arms since the Middle Ages. Other unofficial symbols feature visual personifications, music of Chopin, polonaise and mazurka dances, animals such as the European bison or the white stork, apples, red poppy flowers and religious insignia of the Roman Catholic church. Several have been popularised in recent years, notably the winged hussars.

<i>Die Rheinnixen</i>

Die Rheinnixen is a romantic opera in four acts by Jacques Offenbach. The original libretto by Charles-Louis-Étienne Nuitter was translated into German by Alfred von Wolzogen.

Watan or Al-Watan with the definite article al-, meaning homeland, heimat, country, or nation, may refer to:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anthem of Friuli</span>

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References

  1. "Definition of Homeland". merriam-webster.com. Retrieved 23 December 2018.
  2. Pitroipa, Abdel (14 July 2010). "Ces tirailleurs sénégalais qui ont combattu pour la France". L'Express (in French). Retrieved 14 August 2019.
  3. Bloomsbury Publishing (20 November 2013). Historiae Mundi: Studies in Universal History. A&C Black. p. 97. ISBN   9781472519801.
  4. Anthon, Charles (1867). Eneid of Virgil.
  5. "Definition of FATHERLAND". merriam-webster.com. Retrieved 8 January 2019.
  6. James, Caroline (May 2015). "Identity Crisis: Motherland or Fatherland?". Oxford Dictionaries . Oxford University Press. Archived from the original on 11 May 2015. Retrieved 14 August 2019.
  7. 1 2 Wierzbicka, Anna (21 July 1997). Understanding Cultures Through Their Key Words : English, Russian, Polish, German, and Japanese. Oxford University Press. pp. 173–175. ISBN   978-0-19-535849-0.
  8. 1 2 Stargardt, Nicholas (18 December 2007). Witnesses of War: Children's Lives Under the Nazis. Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. p. 328. ISBN   9780307430304.
  9. Wilensky, Gabriel (2010). Six Million Crucifixions. QWERTY Publishers. ISBN   9780984334643. What we have to fight for is the freedom and independence of the fatherland, so that our people may be enabled to fulfill the mission assigned to it by the creator
  10. "Nazi Germany reveals official pictures of its concentration camps". Life . Vol. 7, no. 8. Time Inc. 21 August 1939. p. 22. ISSN   0024-3019. There is a road to freedom. Its milestones are Obedience, Endeavor, Honesty, Order, Cleanliness, Sobriety, Truthfulness, Sacrifice, and love of the Fatherland.
  11. Wilhelmus-YouTube
  12. Vaterland-YouTube
  13. "Ziemia Ojców". 16 April 2012.
  14. "Ziemia Ojców Naszych". Archived from the original on 14 May 2016. Retrieved 24 August 2019.
  15. Noonan, Peggy (14 June 2002). "OpinionJournal – Peggy Noonan". Archived from the original on 30 September 2007. Retrieved 8 September 2007.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  16. "The Encyclopedia of Aboriginal Australia". 1994.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  17. Peterson, Nicolas; Myers, Fred, eds. (January 2016). Experiments in self-determination: Histories of the outstation movement in Australia [blurb]. Monographs in Anthropology. ANU Press. doi: 10.22459/ESD.01.2016 . ISBN   9781925022902 . Retrieved 2 August 2020.

Further reading