homeland
UK[ˈhəʊm.lænd]US[ˈhoʊm.lænd]
n
the country where a person was born or feels they belong
Morpheme Breakdown
home
land
home
land
Etymology
the word homeland is a modern english compound, formed by combining two old english roots. 'home' originates from proto-germanic haimaz, referring to a village or one's dwelling place, which itself derives from the proto-indo-european root tkei-, meaning 'to settle' or 'to dwell'. 'land' comes from proto-germanic landą, meaning ground or territory, from pie lendʰ-, 'land' or 'heath'. the compound 'homeland' emerged in the early 19th century, blending the intimate, personal sense of 'home' with the political and geographical scope of 'land' to conceptualize a nation as one's native or belonging country.
Analysis
Structure: home + land
home (old english, meaning dwelling, village, region) + land (old english, meaning ground, territory, country)
Examples
after years abroad, she felt a deep longing to return to her homeland.
the song expressed a powerful love for the homeland and its people.
protecting the security of the homeland is a primary government concern.