vlast

Vlast is a noun in Czech and Slovak that denotes the homeland or native land. It is commonly used in expressions such as naše vlast “our homeland” and domovina, and it appears across literature, journalism, and everyday speech to address national belonging or origin. In these languages, vlast carries a sense of land associated with a people or nation, rather than merely a geographic region.

Etymology and relations: Vlast derives from a common Slavic root, historically connected with meanings related to ownership, control, or power. In other Slavic languages, cognate terms reference authority or dominion (for example Russian власть, vlást). In Czech and Slovak, the dominant modern sense is homeland, with related terms formed to express ownership or possession in other forms, such as vlastnictví for ownership and vlastní for “own.”

Usage and nuance: The term is prevalent in patriotic, historical, and literary contexts, where it conveys national belonging and identity. It can appear in discussions about national history, culture, and politics. In contemporary usage, explicit ownership is usually expressed with related words such as vlastní (own) or vlastníctví (ownership), while vlast remains tied to the concept of the land and nation one belongs to.

See also: Domovina, vlastní, vlastník, vlastnictví.