What motherland and fatherland means and is there other similar concepts like sisterland or cousinland (i’m french and i don’t understand theses concepts) ?

8 comments

1. They just mean your nation of origin.

   There is no equivalent for sisterland or cousinland etc.

   Americans generally don’t use the terms to refer to the US though. It is more popular in Europe. Germany was referred to as the Fatherland before WWII. Russia is often referred to as the Motherland. They have a nationalistic/ethnic bent that Americans generally don’t feel.

2. That is not really an American thing. You should chat with your neighbors, not Americans.

   When I hear those things I think Germany and Russia.

3. Americans don’t use these words to describe America, probably due in part to the colonial origins of our country. Fatherland is how many translators would translate “La patrie” so I associate “fatherland” with patriotic or nationalistic movements in Europe like the girondins during the French Revolutions

4. La Patrie, OP

5. The first line of your national anthem is literally “Let’s go, children of the fatherland”.

   Yeah that’s a weird European nationalist thing, ask your countrymen and neighbors, not us.

6. [https://www.mcislanguages.com/fatherland-vs-motherland-what-is-the-gender-of-your-country/](https://www.mcislanguages.com/fatherland-vs-motherland-what-is-the-gender-of-your-country/)

   Disclaimer, I did nothing more than look at the picture in this article, but it’s not a thing in the USA, we don’t refer to our homeland as either.

7. Their real meanings are required by law to be kept secret from outsiders /s

8. I don’t know. It’s goofy nationalist stuff.