this post was submitted on 04 Nov 2024
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[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

Because no one calls where they live a nation? Country is the generic people term for place you live, we don't care about the legal distinctions and specifications.

[–] Anti_Face_Weapon 3 points 1 month ago (2 children)

It's less of a legal distinction and more of a definition thing. He is objectively using the wrong word.

It would not be incorrect to refer to the people of Puerto Ricans as a nation by the definition of the word. The word nation does not refer to a place but a group of people.

[–] Hawke 3 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

Both words refer to both concepts.

country

  1. A nation or state. 
  2. The territory of a nation or state; land. 
  3. The people of a nation or state; populace.

nation

  1. A relatively large group of people organized under a single, usually independent government; a country. 
  2. The territory occupied by such a group of people.
  3. The government of a sovereign state.
[–] Anti_Face_Weapon 0 points 1 month ago (1 children)

This definition is not fully correct. A nation does not need to have a government. For example the Kurds

[–] Hawke 2 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

Yes but my point is that he’s not using the wrong word.

Edit: also Kurdistan exists

[–] Anti_Face_Weapon 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Kurdistan doesn't really have a central government like that, nor fixed or well defined borders. Keep in mind that the concept of a "Nation State" is really only a couple hundred years old.

If that counterexample doesn't satisfy you, then Somalia should. It is a country without a functioning government, which has two nations inside of them of the northern and southern Somalians which are completely different, and neither of which have any sort of unifying government.

[–] Hawke 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

That’s your point though, isn’t it?

The “people” and the “territory” are not the same thing, but both words “country” and “nation” are used more or less interchangeably to apply to either.

[–] Anti_Face_Weapon 0 points 1 month ago (1 children)

The words country and nation are absolutely not interchangeable, no matter how lay people use the terms.

[–] Hawke 0 points 1 month ago

You’re a prescriptivist then I take it.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago

They used the right word in common speak, any other word would feel out of place.