Patriotism, today's definition
02 Jan 2006

I've never liked the connotations that go along with the word "expat". When Greg and I tell people that we are moving abroad they often think that we are renouncing our citizenship. I think this is due to the origins of the word "expatriate".

Many people these days move around the world and as they do the term expat (or expatriate) gets applied. Greg and I wondered one day what the clear definition of the word meant. I knew the definition in the general sense, but not what the dictionary said. We started out by looking at the first dictionary we found.

Webster's Dictionary circa 1919 defines expatriate as: v.t. to drive from one's country.

Soon Greg found another couple of dictionaries and we continued our research.

In the Concise Oxford Dictionary, 4th Edition from 1951, the definition of expatriate - v.t. Banish; (refl.) emigrate; (Law of Nations, refl.) renounce citizenship.

Highroads Dictionary in 1951 states: expatriate - banished, to send out of one's country.

This definition is pretty negative sounding for this word. I don't particularly care for it being applied to me.

In Webster's Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary, from 1967, expatriate is defined as: to drive into exile: Banish; to Withdraw (oneself) from residence in or allegiance to one's native country; to leave one's native country, to renounce allegiance ito one's native country.

It's getting slightly better now, but the "Banish" and "to Withdraw from allegiance to one's native country" isn't why I'm leaving. It's true that the politics in the U.S. leave something to be desired, but it's not my intent. "To leave one's native country" is now an option.

After running out of dictionaries in the house, we turned our attention to more up to date sources:
Merriam-Webster's online Dictionary now defines it as: to withdraw (oneself) from residence in or allegiance to one's native country; BANISH, EXILE intransitive senses : to leave one's native country to live elsewhere; also : to renounce allegiance to one's native country
adj. - living in a foreign land

Dictionary.com:
v. tr.
1. To send into exile. See Synonyms at banish.
2. To remove (oneself) from residence in one's native land.
v. intr.
1. To give up residence in one's homeland.
2. To renounce allegiance to one's homeland.
n. (-t, -t)
1. One who has taken up residence in a foreign country.
2. One who has renounced one's native land.
adj. (-t, -t)
Residing in a foreign country

Interesting how much language can change with the times. Instead of originally being forced out or banished from your own country (as it still is in the transitive verb sense) now expatriate has taken on a new meaning of "residing in a foreign country".

Most Americans have a strong sense of pride in their country. I think this maybe something to do with how U.S. schools and government have ritualized the flag as we were children at the start of school, before games, etc. The U.S. is not the only country to instill a strong pride in their country. Greg had told me about an article he read two years ago that stated "I was very surprised at the very strong reaction to seeing their national flag, and the young visitors were almost in tears when they spotted their flag (homesick after 2 weeks)." Full link here http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/cn.html

One of the reasons I dislike the word expatriate are the definitions of words so closely related to it. Patriotism, n. love for or devotion to one's country. If we added an "ex" on the front of patriotism, would that make the definition: a lack of devotion to one's country? That's hardly fair.

All of this has come to mind because my father now thinks that because I am going to be living abroad, that I must dislike the U.S. and that I am also unpatriotic (adj: showing lack of love for your country). Really, all I want is to be (as Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English reprinted in 2003 simply states): Expatriate: n. someone who lives in a foreign country. I am not giving anything up.