Kin terms like "motherland" and "fatherland" appear rather frequently in patriotic speech and literature. This article suggests that kin terms function in patriotic speech and literature to help evoke altruistic dispositions that have their origin in kin selection. This function, as well as its origin, is explained through a theory which links kin selection, socialization, and patriotism. Types of kin term usage in patriotic speech and literature are identified, and several lines of research on this subject are suggested.
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