micropatrology

English

Alternative forms

• micropatriology

Etymology

From micro- (“very small”) +‎ Latin patria (“country”) + -ology (“branch of learning; a study of a particular subject”), coined by the International Micropatrological Society in 1973. Perhaps a classical compound via translating micronation into Latin as micropatria (literally “microcountry”).

Noun

micropatrology (uncountable)

1. Synonym of micropatriology.
   • 1976 March 28, Roy Bongartz, “Nations Off the Beaten Track”, in The New York Times‎^[2], New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2017-09-12:

     Blaustein is associated with the Micropatrology Society, a group that exchanges information on micronations whose claims to existence have varying degrees of credibility. The society assesses these claims in five categories: B (for bogus), E (for extinct), F (for fiction), T (for traditional) and O (for other).

   • 1996 September 23, [Robert] Ben Madison, “L.O.S.S. News Update!”, in alt.talk.hypothetical‎^[3] (Usenet):

     Again, welcome new LOSS [League of Secessionist States] members and good luck furthering the cause of micronationalism and the science of micropatrology!

   • 2009 May, Bennie Lee Ferguson, What is a Nation: The Micronationalist Challenge to Traditional Concepts of the Nation-state (Master thesis), Wichita State University, pages 37–38:

     As micropatrology ... is a relatively new field, and largely neglected in terms of serious scholarly research, the literature which has been devoted to de facto states and their claims to legitimacy and sovereignty may be instructive in regard to an evaluation of modern micronations.

   • 2014 September 3, voxelindon, Twitter‎^[4]:

     I'm interested in micropatrology, so it was kind of interesting to see -- uh, this.

2. The study of microstates; sovereign countries with very small populations, land areas, or both.
   • [1999 [1979], Erwin S. Strauss, How to Start Your Own Country‎^[5], 3 edition, Paladin Press, →ISBN, page 162:

     These people make a hobby keeping track of small countries, both established ones (like Monaco and Liechtenstein) and new countries. "Micropatrology" is their word for "the study of small countries."]

   • 2005, Thomas M. Eccardt, Secrets of the Seven Smallest States of Europe: Andorra, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, San Marino, and Vatican City, Hippocrene Books, →ISBN, page 142:

     At least in Andorra and Malta, the subject of micropatrology is taken quite seriously.

   • 2014 February 15, u/vivosmith, “Books on Micropatrology/Economics in Micro-countries (Such as UAE, Monaco, and Hong Kong).”, in r/a:t5_2ztvo‎^[6], Reddit:

     [See title]

Derived terms

• micropatria
• micropatriology
• micropatrological
• micropatrologically
• micropatrologist

 

Descendants

• → Dutch: micropatrologie
• → French: micropatrologie
• → Portuguese: micropatriologia
• → English: micropatriology