In these troubled times, people are prone to express strong emotions when talking (or ranting) about their nation. I thought therefore that it would be interesting to look into when this concepts first arose in the English language.
Nation c.1300, from O.Fr. nacion, from L. nationem (nom. natio) “nation, stock, race,” lit. “that which has been born,” from natus, pp. of nasci “be born”
Online Etymology dictionary
It was the Middle Ages which gave rise to the idea of nation and allegiance to a nation. Before this time people(s) allied themselves with rulers, popes, local kings and queens and these allegiances would change with each conquest or change of ownership. The common people were like property, while the noblemen could be from any birth place. It is Worth noting that in the Italian Language the word for ‘stranger’ (estanero) is the same as the word for ‘foreigner’, reflecting Italy’s origins as a collection of fiefdoms or kingdoms; anyone outside of your town walls was a ‘foreigner’. This is, in fact, very close to the original sense of foreigner in English.
1297, ferren, foreyne “out of doors,” from O.Fr. forain, from L.L. foranus “on the outside, exterior,” from L. foris “outside,” lit. “out of doors,” related to fores “door;” spelling altered 17c. perhaps by influence of reign, sovereign. Replaced native fremd. Sense of “not in one’s own land” is first attested 1393.
Online Etymology dictionary
The original sense of nation in English was of ‘in-group’ birth, or what we now call race, not of country. The political sense of nation did not come into being until much later. Indeed, the word ‘nationality’ isn’t recorded in the literature until 1828.
In the Middle Ages a nobleman’s birth place was arbitrary to his allegiance, as can be seen in the number of ‘foreign’ kings and queens that ruled England France or Spain; inter-marriage for reasons of maintaining peace meant a constant changing of country of residence. A sense of national identity logically needed to be invented to rally the population to causes which they would otherwise have had not interest in. Along with the increase in personal wealth and power of the average person, there also came an increase in a sense of national identity of the nation. With the dissolution of serfdom, a sense of belonging to a nation became a necessity to maintain power. Thus, national identity needed to be invented.
It is often cited that after the conquest of Britain in 1066 by the Norman invaders, Britain was ruled by French speakers for 333 years. In 1366 King Richard II was deposed by Henry, Duke of Lancaster, and for the first time in over three hundred years the King was crowned in English. In truth, this was also a shrewd political decision for after more than 60 years of what was to be The Hundred Years War, a French identity was no longer seen as viable to promoting loyalty among those fighting the French. In many ways, this war hastened the revival of an English identity.
Geographic differences suggest that nations have less in common than they think. Northern Italians feel that Southern Italy is for all intents and purposes a different country, except when there is a World Cup. People who live in Bolzano, in Northern Italy, feel more German than Italian, having belonged to Germany before the Second World War. It seems in Italy that there is less national unity than regional ‘in-group’ mentality. But then consider the relationship between national identity and Kingdom. In a past referendum the people of Gibraltar (a tiny Island off the coast of Southern Spain) voted to remain part of the UK, but with the looming Brexit they may have to reconsider their postion. Are they part of the UK or part of Europe? And what does it mean to be British when you no longer live in Britain?
National identity can be used as a tool to repel others as much as to identify a people. It comes to the fore on issues such as immigration, homeland security, during the football matches and when discussing the EU. It is interesting to note that during the Middle Ages, national identity was used as a subterfuge to secure personal wealth and business: something not too dissimilar to the present day city bankers and economists. It’s also interesting to note when nation and nationality are brought into play against peoples who are usually excluded. During the Second World War many African people with British passports fought on the side of the British. These same Africans would then suffer racism at the hand of the ‘native born’ British when they try to integrate because they were not ‘of that country’. Where was the sense of national brotherlyness then? Australians firing at the bows of boats trying to reach their shores can show the ugly face of political racism. But go back a few hundred years and it was the British invading those shores uninvited.What would they have said then if they had been turned back by a volley of spears? It seems incredible that such concepts of identity can be formed over such a short space of time. These thoughts are now extremely relevant for me, as I, a life-long European, may soon find myself being forceably ejected from the EU thanks to nationalistic pride of ‘my people’, condeming me to ‘the outskirts of the fortress’.
AboutWords 