A home is a place of residence and refuge. When it refers to a building, it is usually a place in which an individual or a family can live and store personal property, such as a single-family detached home or an apartment. It is generally a place to provide safety and is used as a center from which people or animals base their daily activities. Most modern-day households contain sanitary facilities and a means of preparing food. Animals have their own homes as well, either living in the wild or shared with humans in a domesticated environment. Home might have a Sanskrit aham (self) or akam (self) in Tamil as its etymology. Home is also used to refer to the geographical area (be a suburb, town, city or country) in which a person grew up or feels they belong, or it can refer to the native habitat of a wild animal. There are cultures in which homes are mobile such as nomadic peoples. Sometimes, as an alternative to the definition of home as a physical locale (Home is where you hang your hat[2]), home may be perceived to have no physical location. Instead, home may relate to a mental or emotional state of refuge or comfort. Popular sayings along these lines are Home is where the heart is[3] or You can never go home again.
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