Matriotism
Pronunciation
- IPA: /ˈmeɪtriətɪzəm/ or IPA: /ˈmætriətɪzəm/
Alternative forms
Origin
A blend of alma mater and patriotism, later reanalyzed as derived from matri- by analogy with patriotism
Full definition of matriotism
Noun
matriotism
(uncountable)- Hometown, school, or parish pride or loyalty, as opposed to nationalism or patriotism
- 1856 1904, James Russell Lowell & Charles Eliot Norton, The complete writings of James Russell Lowell Chapter To Miss Norton, I am delighted with your matriotism. “ Rome, Venice, Cambridge !†I take it for an ascending scale, Rome being the first step and Cambridge the glowing apex.
- 1885, H. C. Beeching, The Academy Chapter Rhymes à la Mode. By A. Lang, poem “ almae matres
- Love or celebration of a woman's influence upon society; a women's equivalent to male patriotism
- 1894, National Household Economic Association, The New England kitchen magazine: a monthly journal of domestic science, Patriotism has incited men to live and die for the country and government ; but Matriotism has impelled women to live and work for mankind. ... The Matriotism of household economics needs to be recognized as necessary for the whole of society.
- Love of the motherland, as opposed to patriotism as love of the fatherland.
- 1995, Daniel Rancour-Laferriere, The slave soul of Russia: moral masochism and the cult of suffering, The most extreme Russian patriots are matriots at heart. By this I mean that their devotion to “Mother Russia†is so intense that the underlying maternal fantasy basis of patriotism comes to the surface as maternal imagery, while paternal imagery fades away.
- Pacifist patriotism; love of society as opposed to love of the state
- 2006, Cindy Sheehan & Howard Zinn, Dear President Bush, Matriotism is the opposite of patriotism. A yin to its yang, a counterforce to the violent militarism of patriotism. ... a Matriot would never send her child or another mother’s child to fight nonsense wars. She would march into war herself to protect her child from harm. ... Patriots cower behind the flag and send young people to die for the sake of material wealth.
- Devotion to Mother Earth, ecology, sustainability, peace and the survival of the human species as long as possible.
Usage notes
Though attested since the mid 19th century, continued use of quotation marks, and comments that the author would like to be able to claim credit for the word but for it having been suggested by someone else, shows that it is often used as a neologism.