diaspora

noun

di·​as·​po·​ra dī-ˈa-sp(ə-)rə How to pronounce diaspora (audio)
dē-
1
capitalized, Judaism
a
: the Jews living outside Palestine or modern Israel
members of the Diaspora
b
: the settling of scattered colonies of Jews outside ancient Palestine after the Babylonian exile
c
: the area outside ancient Palestine settled by Jews
2
a
: people settled far from their ancestral homelands
members of the African diaspora
b
: the place where these people live
c
: the movement, migration, or scattering of a people away from an established or ancestral homeland
the black diaspora to northern cities
diasporic adjective

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The Beginnings of the Word Diaspora

Until recently diaspora was thought to be a fairly new word in English to describe a very old thing (its first, and principal, meaning relates to the settling of the Jewish people outside of Palestine after the Babylonian exile thousands of years ago). However, recent research has found that the word is quite a bit older than previously thought. It can be found as far back as 1594, in a translation of Lambert Daneau’s A Fruitfull Commentarie vpon the Twelue Small Prophets: “This scattering abrode of the Iewes, as it were an heauenly sowing, fell out after their returne from the captiuitie of Babylon … they are called Diaspora, that is, a scattering or sowing abrode.” Diaspora is descended from the Greek word diaspeirein, meaning “to scatter, spread about.”

Examples of diaspora in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Durkin, a scholar of slavery and the African diaspora, traces them to communities in Alabama established by the formerly enslaved, such as Africatown and Gee’s Bend, and finds in their stories antecedents for the Harlem Renaissance and the civil-rights movement. The New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2024 The movie also highlights Marley’s deep Love for his African roots and his efforts to foster unity among the diaspora. Melissa Noel, Essence, 9 Mar. 2024 The most vocal supporters of the cause are among the Sikh diaspora. Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2024 For third-culture communities growing up in the diaspora, tension and insecurity about identity and language are common. Danny Hajjar, Rolling Stone, 13 Feb. 2024 The conflict at Saturday’s gathering highlighted the deep divide among members of the Eritrean diaspora — those who remain close to the government and those who have fled and strongly oppose Afwerki. Kendrick Marshall, Charlotte Observer, 23 Feb. 2024 These platforms quickly became the real home of Russia’s opposition, serving Russians both in the country and in its now vast diaspora with commentary, investigations, and daily news coverage that had now become completely unavailable in official Russian media. Andrei Soldatov, Foreign Affairs, 16 Feb. 2024 There is a wide range of ethnicities, cultures and racial backgrounds within the Jewish diaspora. Sarah Hernholm, Forbes, 16 Feb. 2024 Many people also pointed out country’s roots in the African diaspora and believed Beyoncé’s venture into country would be an act of reclaiming the music, which has often been perceived as a genre for white men. Daysia Tolentino, NBC News, 15 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'diaspora.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Greek, dispersion, from diaspeirein to scatter, from dia- + speirein to sow

First Known Use

1594, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Time Traveler
The first known use of diaspora was in 1594

Dictionary Entries Near diaspora

Cite this Entry

“Diaspora.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/diaspora. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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