You only are free when you realize you belong no place—you belong every place—no place at all.
—Maya Angelou
Defining Belonging
Very early definitions of the word belong (v.) go back to the mid-14th century Middle English, where it was defined as “to go along with, properly relate to,” and from the Old English langian “pertain to, to go along with.” Meanings of “be the property of” and “be a member of” were first recorded in the late 14th century.
It is similar to the Middle Dutch belanghen, the Dutch belangen, and the German belangen.
The Cambridge Dictionary defines belonging as feeling happy or comfortable in a situation. It also refers to the feeling a person has of being in the right place.
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