Concept in Definition ABC

Two or more people are countrymen when they are from the same place of origin. In this sense, a countryman is an individual who shares nationality with another.

This term can be used in various senses: for people of the same country, of the same municipality or from the same region. In any case, what is relevant is geographic coincidence.

In our language we use some synonyms, such as countryman, compatriot or fellow citizen. Coterranian is a cultured word and that in language everyday is used infrequently.

Some connotations of the term

Let's imagine that two people from the same town happen to meet in a foreign country. It is very likely that between the two there is a connection, since the two share a language in common, some traditions and even some very similar personal experiences.

Between two countrymen there are close emotional ties, since both share all kinds of experiences related to their place of origin. However, if those same people were from the same country but not from the same region, surely their ties would be very different. In this sense, the "

homeland girl "of an individual (which may be her municipality or her Province of origin) forms an overview of life.

In general terms, human beings identify with those we consider "ours" and the land of origin is, without a doubt, the connecting element that allows us to connect with others.

There are obvious ties between two countrymen, but sometimes the same place of origin does not necessarily imply a close affective relationship

A man from Madrid from the popular neighborhood of Vallecas and another from the Moral they are countrymen, but from a psychological point of view it is very likely that they do not consider themselves to be from the same city.

Faced with the sentimental connotations of the term countryman, the word foreigner has traditionally been used in a derogatory way. The foreigner has been valued as someone strange, who speaks a strange language and with traditions very different from the national ones. Do not forget that the word "barbarian" comes from barbaroi, which is Latin for foreigner.

The prefix co comes from the Latin cum and means union or company

A countryman is one who shares the same land with another person. The prefix co is used in a similar way to create other terms that convey the idea of ​​union, such as co-official, contemporary, neighboring, co-author, or co-religionist.

Photos: Fotolia - MNStudio / mast3r

Themes in Coterráneo