Compatriot
/kəmˈpætriət/noun
A person from the same country as someone else.
Did you know?Compatriot comes from Latin *com-* (“with, together”) + *patria* (“native land, fatherland”), from *pater* (“father”)—so the word is built on the ancient idea that your country is your inherited family home.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
compatriota
“a fellow countryman; one from the same native land”
Late Latin
Latin
compatriōta
“a person of the same fatherland”
Old French
Old French
compatriote
“fellow countryman”
16th Century
English
compatriot
“a person from the same country”
Modern English
English
compatriot
“a person from the same country as another”