• Anti-Face Weapon@lemmy.world
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    18 days ago

    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@lemmy.world
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      18 days ago

      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.
        • Hawke@lemmy.world
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          17 days ago

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

          Edit: also Kurdistan exists

          • Anti-Face Weapon@lemmy.world
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            17 days ago

            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@lemmy.world
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              16 days ago

              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.