Complex sentence: In some countries, the cognate word for "nationality" in local language may be understood as a synonym of ethnicity, or as an identifier of cultural and family-based self-determination, rather than on relations with a state or current government.
Split into simpler sentences: In some countries, the cognate word for "nationality" in local language may be understood as a synonym of ethnicity. In several areas of the world, the term "nationality" can be defined based on ethnicity, as well as cultural and family-based self-determination rather than on relations with a state or current government.