nationaalen

Nationaalen is a term used primarily in speculative or theoretical discussions to denote a people or population defined by nationalist affiliation within a political community. It is not a standard or widely adopted label in formal scholarship; rather, it appears as a constructed term in worldbuilding exercises or as a way to discuss concepts related to nationalism without tying them to a specific real nation. The term suggests a demonym-like plural referring to the citizens, subjects, or members of a fictional or hypothetical nation, especially where national identity is central to social and political life.

In fiction and thought experiments, nationaalen may be imagined as a population organized around a centralized national project, shared language, or common cultural narrative. Narratives using nationaalen often explore tensions between national unity and regional diversity, questions of inclusion and minority rights, and the tension between sovereignty and supranational governance. It can also function as a foil for examining inclusive versus exclusive forms of nationalism and the ways in which national myths shape public policy and everyday life.

Etymology and orthography: Nationaalen combines the word nation with a Dutch-like plural ending, yielding a form that reads as a demonym for a national population. It is not standard in Dutch or other major languages, and its use is largely rhetorical or fictional.

See also: nationalism, nation-state, demonym, ethnonationalism, worldbuilding.