Fatherland or Motherland?

[Panzermahn]

I knew Germans called their country as Fatherland and the Russians called their country Motherland but what about other countries.

Latvia = Fatherland (to Latvians)
Italy = Fatherland (Patria, to Italians)
Rumania = Motherland (to Romanians)
Georgia = Motherland (to Georgians)


What is the difference between the term of Fatherland and Motherland in the context of nationalism?

Anyone got more info?

Thanks..

Regards
Panzermahn

[Winston Smith]

Israel = Fatherland (Eretz Hahabot, more accuretly translated as "the land of the ancestors")

And I don't think it's such an impact of nationalism, to my opinion it's just a diffrent metaphore to diffrents culutre who see their homeland as a "parent"

[John W]

And I don't think it's such an impact of nationalism, to my opinion it's just a diffrent metaphore to diffrents culutre who see their homeland as a "parent"

Agreed.

[Tom Houlihan]

Would it have anything to do with the individual language, and what gender is assigned to "the country?"

[Koko]

I'd venture to agree with Tom in that the language plays a role in it. At least in Greek it translates to Motherland (Μητέρα Πατρίδα)

[Panzermahn]

Guys,

Thanks for the info. ANyone had more on these Fatherland and Motherland?


Regards
Panzermahn

[voorst]

In Italian there are two words for that: Patria and Madrepatria (the first is fatherland, the second motherland), both are used in the same way.
Regards


Voorst

[cyric]

It is the same in Norwegian as in Germany it seems, Fedrelandet. In english that would be something like Fatherland.

[nondescript handle]

Would it have anything to do with the individual language, and what gender is assigned to "the country?"

In German das Land is neuter, and both das Vaterland (the fatherland) and das Mutterland (the motherland) are used.
But they have different meanings:
das Vaterland (the fatherland) - one's native country
das Mutterland (the motherland) - the country of origin (mostly for things)

Regards
Mark

[Eugene (J. Baker)]

Actually Russians use two words

Rodina - Motherland
and
Otechestvo - Fatherland

UPD with the same differencies as Mark mentioned.

[szopen]

In Poland there is Macierz (Motherland, with more emotional and somehow archaic notions, but that's it) and Ojczyzna (Fatherland)

[OldShatterhand]

Here in Slovenia we have a old expression Ocetjava (fatherland).

Unfortunately now it is rarely used (I dont know why).

Most of the time we call our country Domovina (homeland)

[Windward]

In Chinese we say "zu guo", "ancestor's land".

[SiG I]

Would it have anything to do with the individual language, and what gender is assigned to "the country?"

In German das Land is neuter, and both das Vaterland (the fatherland) and das Mutterland (the motherland) are used.
But they have different meanings:
das Vaterland (the fatherland) - one's native country
das Mutterland (the motherland) - the country of origin (mostly for things)

Regards
Mark

Here's an example to support Tom's theory:
In Romanian, nouns that end with an "a" are allways of feminine gender. The word tara (land) ends in an "a", so it's feminine, the name of the country Romania is allso feminine. Therefore, we Romanians have a "Motherland"

[finnjaeger]

in Finland its Fatherland = Isänmaa

best regards, TK