Diaspora
A people scattered from their homeland. Physically here, but culturally, historically, and/or spiritually from somewhere else.
How We Say It
dฤซยทasยทpษrยทษ
Where It Comes From
Greek diaspora โ scattering, dispersion. From dia- (across) + speirein (to sow, scatter). Originally used specifically for the scattering of Jews from the Land of Israel beginning with the Babylonian exile. Later applied to other dispersed peoples.
How It's Been Used
Applied to the Jewish, Armenian, African, Irish, Palestinian, and Indian diasporas among many others. Each diaspora is different โ some formed by choice, some by expulsion, some by slavery. The word carries the weight of maintained identity across distance and time: the community that remains a community without territory. It has become one of the more useful terms in contemporary discussions of identity and migration.