Fatherland

A fatherland is a nationalist concept that sees the nation to which one belongs as a paternal? figure. Compare to motherland and homeland.

Groups that refer to their homeland as a "father" or associate it primarily with paternal concepts include

• Romans, as patria, the rootword for patriotism
• the Basque, particularly the Basque Fatherland and Liberty (Euzkadi Ta Askatasuna , ETA) organization
• the Germans, as das Vaterland
  (Note, however, that "das" is grammatically neuter; das Vaterland is "the land of my father," not "the land that is my father." Die Heimat (the homeland) is grammatically feminine, as is "die Muttererde" (Mother Earth). The german "Vaterland" has been used since the 12th century with the meaning "native country". An adjective "vaterländisch" is used since the 18th century, meaning something like patriotic or nationalistic. The German "Mutterland" (motherland) refers to a mother country in contrast to its colonies.

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