The Word Café Podcast with Amax

S2 Ep. 121 Looking for that Nation called NIGERIA

April 05, 2023 Amachree Isoboye Afanyaa Season 2 Episode 121
The Word Café Podcast with Amax
S2 Ep. 121 Looking for that Nation called NIGERIA
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Show Notes

c. 1300, nacioun, "a race of people, large group of people with common ancestry and language," from Old French nacion "birth, rank; descendants, relatives; country, homeland" (12c.) and directly from Latin nationem (nominative natio) "birth, origin; breed, stock, kind, species; race of people, tribe," literally "that which has been born," from natus, past participle of nasci "be born" (Old Latin gnasci), from PIE root *gene- "give birth, beget," with derivatives referring to procreation and familial and tribal groups.

The word is used in English in a broad sense, "a race of people an aggregation of persons of the same ethnic family and speaking the same language," and also in the narrower sense, "a political society composed of a government and subjects or citizens and constituting a political unit; an organized community inhabiting a defined territory within which its sovereignty is exercised."

In Middle English it is not easy to distinguish them, but the "political society" sense emerged by 16c., perhaps late 14c. And it has gradually predominated. The older sense is preserved in the application of nation to the native North American peoples (1640s). Nation-building "creation of a new nation" is attested by 1907 (implied in nation-builder). Nation-state "sovereign country the inhabitants of which are united by language, culture, and common descent" is from 1918.

A nation is an organized community within a certain territory; or in other words, there must be a place where its sole sovereignty is exercised. [Theodore D. Woolsey, "Introduction to the Study of International Law," 1864] 

https://www.etymonline.com/word/nation

 

A nation is a large group of people who share a common culture, language, history, and identity, often occupying a specific geographic region. A nation may be defined by its political boundaries or its shared characteristics, and can be made up of many different ethnic and cultural groups. Nations often have their own governments and systems of governance, and may have a unique set of laws and customs that distinguish them from other nations. Some examples of nations include the United States, China, France, and Nigeria.

 

In this episode of the podcast I reflect on the nationhood of my beloved country Nigeria. Asking that very important question, are we really a nation that has looked beyond the lines of tribe and ethnicity to embrace our humanity?

 

Happy listening 


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