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Etymology data from Wiktionary via Wiktextract (CC BY-SA 4.0). Chinese character data from the 說文解字, the Taiwan MOE 國語辭典簡編本 (CC BY-ND 3.0 TW) and HSK/TOCFL lists.

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English

country

/ˈkʌntɹi/
The territory of a nation; a sovereign state or a region once independent and still distinct in institutions, language, etc.

    Etymology graph

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    • borrowed
    • derived
    • parts
    • meaning component
    • sound component
    • related
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    Origin

    Inherited from Middle English contre, borrowed from Old French contree, from Vulgar Latin *(terra) contrāta (“facing land”), from Latin contrā (“against”) + -āta (noun-forming suffix). Cognate with Scots kintra. Unrelated to county. Displaced native English land in some of its senses.

    From around 1300 as "area surrounding a walled city or town; the open country." By early 16th century the sense was applied mostly to rural areas, as opposed to towns and cities.

    Compare typologically Russian страна́ (straná), сторона́ (storoná).

    From Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.

    Lineage

    • inheritedMiddle Englishcontre
      • borrowedOld Frenchcontree
        • inheritedVulgar Latin*contrāta “facing land”
          • partLatincontrā “against”
            • derivedMedieval Latinrotulus “a roll, list, catalogue, schedule, record, a paper or parchment rolled up”
              • derivedLatinrotula “roll, a little wheel”
          • partLatin-āta
            • derivedLatin-ātus “-ed”
              • inheritedProto-Italic*-ātos
                • inheritedProto-Indo-European*-eh₂tos
              • derivedLatin-tus “action noun-forming suffix”
                • inheritedProto-Italic*-tus
                • inheritedProto-Italic*-tos
                • inheritedProto-Indo-European*-tuHts

    Related: Scots kintra

    Meanings

    noun
    1. The territory of a nation; a sovereign state or a region once independent and still distinct in institutions, language, etc.
    2. A large area regarded as distinct from other areas, e.g. because it is inhabited by a specific group of people
    3. An area of land of undefined extent; a region, a district.
    4. An area of land of indefinite extent or of more or less definite extent in relation to human occupation, especially characterized by its particular physical features, or its suitability for a particular activity or connected with its population (by race, dialect, culture, etc.) or a person, especially a writer, or their works.
    5. A rural area, as opposed to a town or city; the countryside.
    6. The inhabitants or people of a district, region, or nation; the populace, the public.
    adj
    1. From or in the countryside, connected with it, or typical of it.
    2. Of or connected to country music.
    3. Originating in India rather than being imported from abroad.

    Sources

    • Wiktionary (via Wiktextract / kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0
    • Wiktionary: country