Ethnie
Jul 16
1 min read
Ethnie (pl. ethnien) is a neologism (a new word) which has come into use in academia. I came across it while studying Classical Greece. It is borrowed from the French word 'ethnie', which means 'ethnic group', and I believe it is pronounced 'et-ni' (I have just started learning the IPA, so be gentle).
Anthony D. Smith proposed six criteria for defining an ethnie, which are:
A proper name
Myths of ancestry held in common
Shared memories
Cultural distinctiveness
A link with a homeland
Some solidarity: the things that hold a group of people together, like shared religion or joint political activity
Sources:
The Open University module A229, Block 3, Unit 1 - Defining Cultural Identity
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