In the 5 centuries since the term “patriotism” was coined, the word has reinvented itself many times. Traced back to 1590s France, it originally meant brotherhood and union among countrymen. A positive word, it was centered on a core concept of loyalty in community. By the mid-1700s it was redefined for another purpose. Where it once meant unwavering faithfulness to one’s country, it came to refer to individuals who were critical of the prevailing government.
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