Correct meaning of Native Place

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jpkpk

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Aug 8, 2011
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Gujarati
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India
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South Africa
Hi

This is my first post here.

My family is originally from OLD_PLACE. My family shifted from OLD_PLACE to NEW_PLACE before my birth. I am born and brought up at NEW_PLACE. Then what is my native place, OLD_PLACE or NEW_PLACE
 
Welcome to the forum, jpkpk.

Why are you using such a strange way of presenting 'Place A' and 'Place B'?

If you [STRIKE]are[/STRIKE] were born in B, then your place of birth is B, you come from B, your home town is B. We do not use the expression 'native place'.
 
Thanks for answer. Though I understand what you described about place of birth and home town, but I wanted to understand native place. Since you said you do not use expression native place, so I can not ask further. But thank you anyway. :)
 
If you were born in Pune, you are a native of Pune and India is your native land.

Rover
 
I've seen many drafts of letters in which people (usually from India) refer to a trip to "return to their native place."

I have always assumed it means what I would call "my hometown." It's where I am from, not my parents.

However, since its use seems limited to Indian English, I have a hard time confirming my belief. It could mean you "ancestral home," which is where your parents (or their parent, or their parents' parents) are from.
 
Just today, someone asked what part of India one of my colleagues was from. He answered both where his parents were from and where he was raised.
 
In Udaipur, Rajasthan, there are a large number of people who were born there to parents who migrated from Sindh at the time of partition, they are referred to and refer to themselves as "Sindhi", natives of Sindh.
 
I think the answer would entirely depend on the respondent's interpretation of "native place". As we've said, it's not a natural expression so it's hard to answer.

Some people will answer with the town where they were born, or grew up, some with where they live now, some with where their ancestry lies and some will say that they don't have one!
 
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