diaspora
noun
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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
Njera Perkins, Peoplemag, 14 June 2024
How does Mexico relate to its own diaspora, i.e., the 12 million Mexicans that live in the U.S.?
—Connor Goodwin, ProPublica, 10 June 2024
To immerse yourself in the borough’s diaspora, pay a visit to these cafés, restaurants, and bars.
—Nicole K. Grimes, Travel + Leisure, 8 June 2024
The Pérez Art Museum Miami (also known as PAMM) is a staple of Miami, featuring a permanent exhibit that showcases works related to Latin America, the Caribbean and the African diaspora.
—Andrew J. Tardif, Miami Herald, 3 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for diaspora 
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.
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Cite this Entry
“Diaspora.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/diaspora. Accessed 27 Jun. 2024.
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