back-to-the-land
UK[ˌbæk tə ðə ˈlænd]US[ˌbæk tə ðə ˈlænd]
adj
Relating to or characterized by a lifestyle of moving to a rural area to become self-sufficient through farming or simple living.
n
A person who adopts such a lifestyle.
Etymology
The phrase "back-to-the-land" is a modern English compound, originating in the late 19th and early 20th centuries as a descriptor for social movements. It is constructed from the common directional adverb "back," the preposition "to," the definite article "the," and the noun "land." The logic is entirely transparent and literal, describing a physical and philosophical return ("back") to rural, agricultural life ("the land"). This compound encapsulates the core ideology of rejecting industrialized urban living in favor of a perceived simpler, more authentic, and self-reliant existence connected to nature and manual cultivation.
Analysis
This is a hyphenated compound phrase. It is not segmentable into individual morphemes in the traditional sense but is a fixed idiomatic expression formed from common English words.
Examples
The back-to-the-land movement gained significant popularity among young people in the 1960s and 1970s.
They lived a back-to-the-land lifestyle, growing their own food and generating their own power.
After years in the city, she decided to become a back-to-the-lander and bought a small farm.