Demonym
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A demonym (/dmnm/; dmos "people, tribe", noma "name") is a word that identifies residents or natives of a particular place, which is derived from the name of that particular place.[1]
It is a neologism (i.e., a recently minted term); previously gentilic was recorded in English dictionaries, e.g., the Oxford English Dictionary and Chambers Twentieth Century Dictionary.[2][3][4]
Examples of demonyms include a Swahili for a person of the Swahili coast, the colloquial Kiwi for a person from New Zealand, and a Cochabambino for a person from the city of Cochabamba.
Demonyms do not always clearly distinguish place of origin or ethnicity from place of residence or citizenship, and many demonyms overlap with the ethnonym for the ethnically dominant group of a region. Thus a Thai may be any resident or citizen of Thailand of any ethnic group, or more narrowly a member of the Thai people.
Conversely, some groups of people may be associated with multiple demonyms. For example, a native of the United Kingdom may be called a British person, a Briton or, informally, a Brit. In some languages, when a parallel demonym does not exist, a demonym is borrowed from another language as a nickname or descriptive adjective of a group of people.[example needed]
In English, demonyms are capitalized[5] and are often the same as the adjectival form of the place, e.g. Egyptian, Japanese, or Greek. Significant exceptions exist; for instance the adjectival form of Spain is "Spanish", but the demonym is "Spaniard".
English commonly uses national demonyms such as "Ethiopian" or "Guatemalan" and more local demonyms such as "Chicagoan", "Wisconsinite", or "Parisian".[6][7][8] Some places, especially smaller towns and cities, lack a commonly used and accepted demonym.
Contents
- 1 Etymology
- 2 Suffixation
- 2.1 -(a)n
- 2.2 -ian
- 2.3 -anian
- 2.4 -nian
- 2.5 -in(e)
- 2.6 -a(/n)o/a, -e(/n)o/a, or -i(/n)o/a
- 2.7 -ite
- 2.8 -(e)r
- 2.9 -ish
- 2.10 -ene
- 2.11 -ensian
- 2.12 -ard
- 2.13 -ese, -lese, -vese, or -nese
- 2.14 -i(e)
- 2.15 -ic
- 2.16 -iot(e)
- 2.17 -asque
- 2.18 -(we)gian
- 2.19 -onian
- 2.20 -vian
- 2.21 -san
- 2.22 -ois(e), -ais(e)
- 2.23 From Latin or Latinization
- 3 Prefixation
- 4 Not derived from the name
- 5 Ethnic demonyms
- 6 Fiction
- 7 See also
- 8 References
- 9 External links
Etymology[edit]
The word gentilic comes from the Latin gentilis ("of a clan, or gens") and the English suffix -ic.[9] The word demonym was derived from the Greek word meaning "populace" ( demos) with the suffix for "name" (-onym).
National Geographic attributes the term "demonym" to Merriam-Webster editor Paul Dickson in a recent work from 1990.[10] The word did not appear for nouns, adjectives, and verbs derived from geographical names in the Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary nor in prominent style manuals such as the Chicago Manual of Style. It was subsequently popularized in this sense in 1997 by Dickson in his book Labels for Locals.[11] However, in What Do You Call a Person From...? A Dictionary of Resident Names (the first edition of Labels for Locals)[12] Dickson attributed the term to George H. Scheetz, in his Names' Names: A Descriptive and Prescriptive Onymicon (1988),[1] which is apparently where the term first appears. The term may have been fashioned after demonymic, which the Oxford English Dictionary defines as the name of an Athenian citizen according to the deme to which the citizen belongs, with its first use traced to 1893.[13][14]
Suffixation[edit]
Several linguistic elements are used to create demonyms in the English language. The most common is to add a suffix to the end of the location name, slightly modified in some instances. These may resemble Late Latin, Semitic, Celtic, or Germanic suffixes, such as:
-(a)n[edit]
Continents[edit]
- Africa African
- Asia Asian
- Australia Australian
- Europe European
- North America North American
- South America South American
Countries[edit]
- Albania Albanian
- Algeria Algerian
- Andorra Andorran
- Angola Angolan
- Antigua Antiguan
- Argentina Argentinean
- Armenia Armenian
- Assyria Assyrian
- Australia Australian
- Austria Austrian
- Barbuda Barbudan
- Belize Belizean
- Bolivia Bolivian
- Bosnia Bosnian
- Brunei Bruneian
- Bulgaria Bulgarian
- Canada Canadian
- Cayman Islands Caymanian
- Chile Chilean
- Colombia Colombian
- Costa Rica Costa Rican
- Croatia Croatian
- Cuba Cuban
- Dominica Dominican
- Dominican Republic Dominican
- El Salvador Salvadoran
- Eritrea Eritrean
- Estonia Estonian
- Ethiopia Ethiopian
- Fiji Fijian
- Gambia Gambian
- Gaza Gazan
- Georgia Georgian
- Germany German
- Guatemala Guatemalan
- Guinea Guinean
- Haiti Haitian
- Honduras Honduran
- Hungary Hungarian
- India Indian
- Indonesia Indonesian
- Ivory Coast Ivorian
- Jamaica Jamaican
- Kenya Kenyan
- Korea (North) North Korean
- Korea (South) South Korean
- Latvia Latvian
- Liberia Liberian
- Libya Libyan
- Lithuania Lithuanian
- Macedonia Macedonian
- Malawi Malawian
- Malaysia Malaysian
- Mali Malian
- Man, Isle of ManxMan
- Mauritania Mauritanian
- Mauritius Mauritian
- Mexico Mexican
- Micronesia Micronesian
- Moldova Moldovan
- Mongolia Mongolian (also "Mongol")
- Morocco Moroccan
- Mozambique Mozambican
- Namibia Namibian
- Nauru Nauruan
- Nicaragua Nicaraguan
- Nigeria Nigerian
- Palau Palauan
- Palestine Palestinian
- Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinean
- Paraguay Paraguayan
- Persia Persian
- Peru Peruvian
- Romania Romanian
- Russia Russian
- Rwanda Rwandan (also "Rwandese")
- Saint Lucia Saint Lucian
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Vincentian
- Samoa Samoan
- Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabian (also "Saudi")
- Serbia Serbian
- Sierra Leone Sierra Leonean
- Singapore Singaporean
- Slovakia Slovakian (also "Slovak")
- Slovenia Slovenian (also "Slovene")
- South Africa South African
- Sri Lanka Sri Lankan
- St. Kitts and Nevis Kittitian or Nevisian
- Syria Syrian
- Lebanon Lebanese
- Tanzania Tanzanian
- Tonga Tongan
- Tunisia Tunisian
- Tuvalu Tuvaluan
- Uganda Ugandan
- United States of America American
- Uruguay Uruguayan
- Venezuela Venezuelan
- Zambia Zambian
- Zimbabwe Zimbabwean
States and provinces[edit]
- Alaska Alaskan
- Alberta Albertan
- Andalusia Andalusian
- Arizona Arizonan
- Arkansas Arkansan
- Asturias Asturian
- Bavaria Bavarian
- Bohemia Bohemian
- Borneo Bornean
- British Columbia British Columbian
- California Californian
- Cantabria Cantabrian
- Carinthia Carinthian
- Colorado Coloradan
- Corsica Corsican
- Crete Cretan
- Crimea Crimean
- Dalmatia Dalmatian
- Delaware Delawarean
- Extremadura Extremaduran
- Florida Floridan (more commonly "Floridian" below)
- Galicia Galician
- Galilee Galilean
- Georgia Georgian
- Hawaii Hawaiian[a]
- Hebrides Hebridean
- Idaho Idahoan
- Illinois Illinoisan
- Indiana Hoosier
- Iowa Iowan
- Java Javan (also "Javanese")
- Johor Johorean
- Judea Judean
- Kansas Kansan
- Karelia Karelian
- Kedah Kedahan
- Kelantan Kelantanese
- Liguria Ligurian
- Louisiana Louisianan (also "Louisianian")
- Madeira Madeiran
- Malacca Malaccan
- Majorca Majorcan
- Manitoba Manitoban
- Masuria Masurian
- Michigan Michigander
- Minnesota Minnesotan
- Menorca Menorcan
- Mississippi Mississippian
- Missouri Missourian
- Moluccas Moluccan
- Montana Montanan
- Moravia Moravian
- Nebraska Nebraskan
- Negeri Sembilan Negeri Sembilanese
- Nevada Nevadan
- New Brunswick New Brunswicker
- New Hampshire New Hampshirite
- New Jersey New Jerseyan
- New Mexico New Mexican
- North Carolina North Carolinian (also "Carolinian", see also South Carolina below)
- North Dakota North Dakotan
- Nova Scotia Nova Scotian
- Ohio Ohioan
- Oklahoma Oklahoman
- Ontario Ontarian
- Oregon Oregonian
- Papua Papuan
- Pahang Pahangese, Pahangite
- Patagonia Patagonian
- Perlis Perlisian
- Perak Perakian
- Penang Penangite
- Pennsylvania Pennsylvanian
- Pomerania Pomeranian
- Puerto Rico Puerto Rican
- Samogitia Samogitian
- Sabah Sabahan
- Sardinia Sardinian
- Sarawak Sarawakian
- Silesia Silesian
- South Australia South Australian
- South Dakota South Dakotan
- Styria Styrian
- Sumatra Sumatran
- Tahiti Tahitian
- Tasmania Tasmanian
- Tennessee Tennesseean
- Terengganu Terengganuan, Terengganurian
- Texas Texan
- Thuringia Thuringian
- Transylvania Transylvanian
- Umbria Umbrian
- Utah Utahn
- Victoria Victorian
- Virginia Virginian
- Wake Island Wakean
- Wallachia Wallachian
- Western Australia Western Australian (informally, Westralian)
- West Papua West Papuan
- Westphalia Westphalian
- Yukon Yukonian
Cities[edit]
- Alexandria Alexandrian
- Annapolis Annapolitan
- Atlanta Atlantan
- Austin Austinite
- Baltimore Baltimorean
- Bogot Bogotan
- Canberra Canberran
- Cape Town - Capetonian
- Charlotte Charlottean
- Chicago Chicagoan
- Cincinnati Cincinnatian
- El Paso El Pasoan, El Paseo
- Glasgow Glaswegian
- Hanoi Hanoian
- Houston Houstonian
- Indianapolis Indianapolitan
- Jakarta Jakartan
- Kalamazoo Kalamazooan
- Kiev Kievan
- Kolkata Calcuttan
- Las Vegas Las Vegan
- Lancaster Lancastrian
- Liverpool Liverpudlian
- London Londoner
- Manchester Mancunian
- Miami Miamian
- Minneapolis Minneapolitan
- New York City New Yorker
- Oklahoma City Oklahoma Cityan
- Ottawa Ottawan
- Philadelphia Philadelphian
- Phoenix Phoenician
- Paris Parisian
- Pisa Pisan
- Regina Reginan
- Riga Rigan
- Rome Roman
- San Antonio San Antonian
- San Diego San Diegan
- San Francisco San Franciscan
- San Jose San Josean
- Sarasota Sarasotan
- Sioux City Sioux Cityan
- Springville Springvillian
- Sofia Sofian
- St. Louis St. Louisan
- Thebes Theban
- Toledo, Ohio Toledoan
- Toronto Torontonian
- Tucson Tucsonan
- Tulsa Tulsan
- Valencia Valencian
- Vilnius Vilnian
- Yuma Yuman
-ian[edit]
Countries[edit]
- Argentina Argentinian (also "Argentine", also "Argentinean")
- Azerbaijan Azerbaijanian (also "Azarbaijani")
- Bahamas Bahamian
- Barbados Barbadian (also "Bajan")
- Belarus Belarusian
- Belgium Belgian
- Bermuda Bermudian
- Brazil Brazilian
- Cameroon Cameroonian
- Canada Canadian (or "Canadien" [feminine "Canadienne"] in French)
- Cayman Islands Caymanian
- Chad Chadian
- Comoros Comorian
- Croatia Croatian
- Ecuador Ecuadorian
- Edmonton Edmontonian
- Egypt Egyptian
- Ghana Ghanaian
- Grenada Grenadian
- Hungary Hungarian
- India Indian
- Iran Iranian
- Italy Italian
- Jordan Jordanian
- Laos Laotian
- Maldives Maldivian
- Mongolia Mongolian (ethnic demonym "Mongol")
- Palestine Palestinian
- Saint Vincent Vincentian
- Serbia Serbian (ethnic demonym "Serb")
- Slovakia Slovakian (ethnic demonym "Slovak")
- Slovenia Slovenian (ethnic demonym "Slovene")
- Trinidad Trinidadian
- Ukraine Ukrainian
States, provinces, counties, and cities[edit]
- Adelaide Adelaidian
- Alabama Alabamian
- Athens Athenian
- Ballarat Ballaratian
- Birmingham, Alabama Birminghamian
- Blackburn Blackburnian
- Blackpool Blackpudlian
- Bangkok Bangkokian
- Boston Bostonian
- Brisbane Brisbanian (also "Brisbanite")
- Bristol Bristolian
- Burgundy Burgundian
- Calgary Calgarian
- Canary Islands Canarian
- Canterbury, New Zealand Cantabrian
- Cardiff Cardiffian
- Castile Castilian
- Chelmsford Chelmsfordian
- Chittagong Chittagonian
- Christchurch Christchurchian (also "Christchurcher")
- Corinth Corinthian
- Coventry Coventrian
- Cumbria Cumbrian
- Dayton Daytonian
- Devon Devonian
- Duluth Duluthian
- Edmonton Edmontonian
- Florida Floridian
- Fort Worth Fort Worthian
- Fredericton Frederictonian
- Gibraltar Gibraltarian
- Greenville Greenvillian
- Hamilton Hamiltonian
- Harrow Harrovian
- Hartlepool Hartlepudlian
- Hereford Herefordian
- Hesse Hessian
- Hobart Hobartian
- Houston Houstonian
- Isles of Scilly Scillonian
- Iowa City Iowa Citian
- Jessup Jessupian
- Kansas City Kansas Citian
- Kentucky Kentuckian
- Kingston Kingstonian
- Lancashire Lancastrian
- Lancaster Lancastrian
- Lethbridge Lethbridgian
- Liverpool Liverpudlian (also, though insulting and a negative term "Scouser")
- Louisiana Louisianian (also "Louisianan")
- Louisville Louisvillian
- Madrid Madrilenian
- Maharashtra Maharashtrian
- McKinney McKinnian
- Melbourne Melburnian
- Memphis Memphian
- Michigan Michiganian or Michigander
- Nelson Nelsonian
- New Guinea New Guinian
- New Orleans New Orleanian
- North Carolina North Carolinian
- Northern Territory Territorian
- Oregon Oregonian
- Paris Parisian
- Peterborough Peterborian
- Phoenix Phoenician
- Plymouth Plymothian
- Port Harcourt Harcourtian
- Preston, Lancashire Prestonian
- Prince George's County Prince Georgian
- Rivers State Riverian
- Saskatchewan Saskatchewanian
- Saskatoon Saskatonian
- Savannah Savannahian[16]
- Sicily Sicilian
- Solihull Silhillian
- South Carolina South Carolinian
- Swindon Swindonian
- Tel Aviv, Israel Tel Avivian
- Thrace Thracian
- Towcester Towcestrian
- Washington Washingtonian
- Wellington Wellingtonian
- Wilmington Wilmingtonian
-anian[edit]
- Guam Guamanian
-nian[edit]
- Bendigo Bendigonian
- Buffalo Buffalonian
- Manchester (UK) Mancunian
- Panama Panamanian
- Sligo Sligonian
- Tampa Tampanian
- Tobago Tobagonian
- Toronto Torontonian
- Torquay Torquinian
- Trinidad & Tobago Trinbagonian
-in(e)[edit]
- Argentina Argentine (and less commonly as "Argentinian" or "Argentinean")
- Byzantium Byzantine
- Florence Florentine (also Latin "Florentia")
- The Levant Levantine
- Montenegro Montenegrin
- Palatinate Palatine
- Philippines Filipino (feminine: Filipina, see below)
- Philistia Philistine
-a(/n)o/a, -e(/n)o/a, or -i(/n)o/a[edit]
as adaptations from the standard Spanish suffix -e(/n)o
(sometimes using a final -a instead of -o for a female, following the Spanish suffix standard -e(/n)a )
Countries and regions[edit]
- Cebu Cebuano
- El Salvador Salvadoreo (also "Salvadoran")
- Philippines Filipino
Cities[edit]
- Albuquerque Burqueo
- Cavite Caviteo
- Davao City Davaoeo
- Los Angeles Angelino or Angeleno
- Madrid Madrileo
- Mlaga Malagueo
- Manila Manileo
- So Paulo Paulistano
- Zamboanga City Zamboangueo
-ite[edit]
- Akron Akronite
- Ann Arbor Ann Arborite
- Austin Austinite
- Bergen County, New Jersey Bergenite
- Boulder Boulderite
- Brisbane Brisbanite (also "Brisbanian")
- Bronx Bronxite
- Brooklyn Brooklynite [17]
- Carson City, Nevada Carsonite
- Chennai Chennaiite
- Dallas Dallasite
- Decatur Decaturite
- Delhi Delhite
- Denton, Texas Dentonite
- Denver Denverite
- Dhaka Dhakaite (also "Dhakai" or "Dhakaiya")
- Dubai Dubaiite
- Dunedin Dunedinite
- Durban Durbanite
- Erie, Pennsylvania Erieite
- Gaya Gayaite
- Irmo, South Carolina Irmite
- Israel Israelite (also "Israeli", depending on the usage; see below)
- Istanbul Istanbulite
- Jerusalem Jerusalemite
- Karachi Karachiite
- Kerala Keralite (also Malayali or Malayalee)
- Manhattan Manhattanite
- Moscow Muscovite (also Latin "Muscovia")
- Montpelier, Vermont Montpelierite
- Mumbai Mumbaiite
- New Hampshire New Hampshirite
- Oban Obanite
- Odessa Odessite
- Patna Patnaite
- Perth Perthite (also "Perthian" and "Perthling")
- Putney Putneyite
- Queens Queensite[18]
- Reading Readingite
- Reno, Nevada Renal
- Ruskin, Florida Ruskinite
- Seattle Seattleite
- Seoul Seoulite
- Shiloh Shilonite (as in: "Ahijah the Shilonite")
- Springfield (The Simpsons) Springfieldianite
- Spokane Spokanite
- Sydney Sydneyite (also "Sydneysider")
- Telangana Telanganite
- Tokyo Tokyoite
- Vancouver Vancouverite
- Vizag Vizagite
- Wenham, Massachusetts Wenhamite
- Westchester County, New York Westchesterite
- Whittier, California Whittierite
- Winston-Salem Winston-Salemite
- Wisconsin Wisconsinite
- Wyoming Wyomingite
-(e)r[edit]
- Amsterdam Amsterdammer
- Auckland Aucklander
- Beijing Beijinger
- Belgrade Belgrader
- Berlin Berliner
- Bucharest Bucharester
- Budapest Budapester
- Cleveland Clevelander
- Cook Islands Cook Islander
- Copenhagen Copenhagener
- Detroit Detroiter
- Dublin Dubliner
- Dresden Dresdener
- Fife Fifer
- Frankfurt Frankfurter
- Greenland Greenlander (also "Greenlandic")
- Hamburg Hamburger
- Hannover Hannoveraner
- Hong Kong Hongkonger/Hong Konger (also "Hong Kongese"/"Hongkongese")
- Iceland Icelander (also "Icelandic")
- Leeds Loiner
- Leipzig Leipziger
- Liechtenstein Liechtensteiner
- Little Rock, AR Little Rocker
- London Londoner
- Lorraine Lorrainer
- Luxembourg Luxembourger
- Maine Mainer
- Maryland Marylander
- Michigan Michigander
- Montreal Montrealer
- Netherlands Netherlander (also "Dutchman" and "Hollander")
- New England New Englander
- New York New Yorker
- New Zealand New Zealander
- Newfoundland Newfoundlander
- Pittsburgh Pittsburgher
- Prague Praguer
- Puntland Puntlander
- Quebec Quebecker or Quebecer (though see below; irregular forms)
- Queensland Queenslander
- Rhineland Rhinelander
- Rhode Island Rhode Islander
- Rotterdam Rotterdammer
- Saigon Saigoner
- Solomon Islands Solomon Islander
- Stockholm Stockholmer
- Stuttgart Stuttgarter
- Tallinn Tallinner
- Vermont Vermonter
- Winnipeg Winnipegger
- Yellowknife Yellowknifer
- Yukon Yukoner
- Zurich Zuricher
Often used for European locations and Canadian locations
-ish[edit]
(Usually suffixed to a truncated form of the toponym, or place-name.)
"-ish" is usually proper only as an adjective. See note below list.
- land landish
- Britain, Great Britain and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland British (demonym "Briton")
- Cornwall Cornish (demonym "Cornishman, Cornishwoman")
- Denmark Danish (demonym "Dane")
- England English (demonym "Englishman, Englishwoman")
- Finland Finnish (demonym "Finn" or "Finnic")
- Flanders Flemish (demonym "Fleming")
- Ireland Irish (demonym "Irishman, Irishwoman")
- Kurdistan Kurdish (demonym "Kurd")
- Kent Kentish
- Luxembourg Luxembourgish (demonym "Luxembourger")
- Northern Ireland Northern Irish
- Oakland Oaklandish
- Poland Polish (demonym "Pole")
- Scotland Scottish (demonym "Scot" or "Scotsman, Scotswoman")
- Spain Spanish (demonym "Spaniard")
- Sweden Swedish (demonym "Swede")
- Turkey Turkish (demonym "Turk")
-ene[edit]
- Cairo Cairene
- Cyrenaica Cyrene
- Damascus Damascene
- Nazareth Nazarene
- Slovenia Slovene (also "Slovenian")
Often used for Middle Eastern locations and European locations.
-ensian[edit]
- Kingston-upon-Hull (UK) Hullensian
- Leeds (UK) Leodensian
-ard[edit]
- Spain Spaniard (also "Spanish")
- Savoy Savoyard
- Montagne Montagnard
-ese, -lese, -vese, or -nese[edit]
- Abruzzo Abruzzese
- Aragon Aragonese
- Aceh Acehnese
- Assam Assamese
- Bali Balinese
- Bengal/Bangladesh Bengalese (also "Bengali" or "Bangladeshi" see below)
- Benin Beninese (also "Beninois")
- Bern Bernese
- Bhutan Bhutanese
- Bologna Bolognese
- Calabria Calabrese
- China Chinese
- Congo Congolese
- Da Lat Dalatese
- East Timor East Timorese
- Faroe Islands Faroese
- Gabon Gabonese (also Gabonais/e)
- Genoa Genovese
- Guangdong ("Canton") Cantonese
- Guyana Guyanese
- Hainan Hainanese
- Hong Kong Hongkongese
- Hunan Hunanese
- Japan Japanese
- Java Javanese (also "Javan")
- Lebanon Lebanese
- Macao Macanese/Chinese
- Malta Maltese
- Manila Manilese
- Marshall Islands Marshallese
- Milan Milanese
- Myanmar/Burma Burmese (though see below; irregular forms)
- Nepal Nepalese (also "Nepali")
- Piedmont Piedmontese
- Pittsburgh Pittsburghese (as used routinely by residents of Pittsburgh referring only to the accent/dialect)
- Portugal Portuguese
- Rwanda Rwandese (also "Rwandan")
- San Marino Sammarinese
- Sark Sarkese
- Senegal Senegalese
- Shanghai Shanghaiese
- Siam Siamese
- Sikkim Sikkimese
- (South) Sudan (South) Sudanese
- Suriname Surinamese
- Taiwan Taiwanese
- Togo Togolese
- Turin Torinese
- Tyrol Tyrolese
- Vienna Viennese
- Vietnam Vietnamese
"-ese" is usually considered proper only as an adjective, or to refer to the entirety.[citation needed] Thus, "a Chinese person" is used rather than "a Chinese". Often used for East Asian and Francophone locations, from the similar-sounding French suffix -ais(e), which is originally from the Latin adjectival ending -ensis, designating origin from a place: thus Hispaniensis (Spanish), Danensis (Danish), etc.
-i(e)[edit]
- Allahabad Allahabadiin*Azawad Azawadi
- Azerbaijan Azeri (more commonly "Azerbaijani", and sometimes "Azerbaijanian")
- Azra Azragi
- Balochistan Balochistani (also "Baloch", "Baluch", or "Baluchi")
- Bahrain Bahraini
- Bangladesh Bangladeshi (also "Bengali" or "Bengalese")
- Barisal Barisali (also "Borishali")
- Bengal Bengali
- Bharat Bharati
- Bihar Bihari
- Birmingham (UK) Brummie
- Dagestan Dagestani
- Dhaka Dhakai (also "Dhakaiya", or "Dhakaite")
- Faridabad Faridabadi
- Glasgow Weegie
- Gujarat Gujarati
- Hayastan Hayastani (also "Armenian")
- Hazara Hazaragi (also "Azragi")
- Hyderabad Hyderabadi
- Iraq Iraqi
- Israel Israeli (in the modern State of Israel)
- Kerala Malayali (also "Malayalee", or "Keralite")
- Kashmir Kashmiri
- Kazakhstan Kazakhstani (also "Kazakh")
- Kurdistan Kurdistani (also "Kurdish", "Kurd")
- Kuwait Kuwaiti
- Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyzstani (also "Kyrgyz")
- Lahore Lahori
- Nepal Nepali (also "Nepalese")
- Oman Omani
- Pakistan Pakistani
- Punjab Punjabi
- Qatar Qatari
- Rajasthan Rajasthani
- Rangpur Rangpuri
- Sindh Sindhi
- Somalia Somali
- Sylhet Sylheti (also "Siloti")
- Tajikistan Tajikistani (also "Tajik")
- Tel Aviv Tel Avivi (also "Tel Avivim" (plural))
- Turkmenistan Turkmenistani (also "Turkmen")
- United Arab Emirates Emirati
- Uzbekistan Uzbekistani (also "Uzbek")
- Yemen Yemeni
- Yorkshire Yorkie (also "Yorkshireman", or "Tyke")
Mostly for Middle Eastern and South Asian locales and in Latinate names for the various people that ancient Romans encountered (e.g. Allemanni, Helvetii)
-ic[edit]
- Finn Finnic (also "Finnish")
- Antarctica Antarctic
- Greenland Greenlandic (also "Greenlander")
- Iceland Icelandic (also "Icelander")
- Iran Iranic (also "Iranian")
- Slav Slavic
-iot(e)[edit]
- Chios Chiot
- Corfu Corfiot
- Cyprus Cypriot ("Cyprian" before 1960 independence of Cyprus)
- Phanar Phanariote
Used especially for Greek locations.
-asque[edit]
- Monaco Mongasque (native citizen of Monaco)
- Menton Mentonasque
- Basque Country Basque
Often used for French locations.
-(we)gian[edit]
-onian[edit]
- Aberdeen Aberdonian
- Bath Bathonian
- Connacht Connachtonian
- Cork Corkonian [19]
- Dundee Dundonian
- Halifax Haligonian
- Newport Newportonian
- Oxford Oxonian
- TruroTruronian
Often used for British and Irish locations.
-vian[edit]
- Barrow-in-Furness Barrovian[20]
- Harrow Harrovian
- Oamaru Oamaruvian
- Oslo Oslovian
- Peru Peruvian
- Warsaw Warsovian
- Waterloo Waterluvian[21]
- Wythenshawe Wythenshavian
-san[edit]
- Burkina Faso Burkina Fasan
-ois(e), -ais(e)[edit]
- Benin Beninois(e) (also Beninese)
- Gabon Gabonais(e) (also Gabonese)
- Seychelles Seychellois(e)
- Quebec Quebecois(e) (also Quebecker, most common within Canada)
While derived from French, these are also official demonyms in English.
From Latin or Latinization[edit]
- Alsace Alsatian (Alsatia)
- Ashbourne Ashburnian (Essiburn)
- Cambridge Cantabrigian
- Colchester Colcestrian
- Courland Couronian (Curonia)
- Exeter Exonian
- Germany German (Germani)
- Guernsey Sarnian (Sarnia)
- Halifax Haligonian
- Hispanic America Hispanic (Hispania)
- Leeds Leodensian (Ledesia)
- Lviv Leopolitan (Leopolis)
- Manchester Mancunian (Mancunia)
- Melbourne Melburnian (Melburnia)
- Minneapolis Minneapolitan
- Naples Neapolitan (Neapolis)
- Newcastle Novocastrian (Novum Castrum)
- Orkney Islands Orcadian (Orcadia)
- Oswestry Oswestrian (Oswestria)
- Shropshire Salopian (Salopia)
- Tripoli Tripolitan (Tripolis)
- Venice Venetian
- Wolverhampton Wulfrunian
Prefixation[edit]
It is much rarer to find Demonyms created with a prefix. Mostly they are from Africa and the Pacific, and are not generally known or used outside the country concerned. In much of East Africa, a person of a particular ethnic group will be denoted by a prefix. For example, a person of the Luba people would be a Muluba, the plural form Baluba, and the language, Kiluba or Tshiluba. Similar patterns with minor variations in the prefixes exist throughout on a tribal level. And Fijians who are indigenous Fijians are known as Kaiviti (Viti being the Fijian name for Fiji). On a country level:
- Botswana Motswana (singlular), Batswana (plural)
- Burundi Umurundi (singular), Abarundi (plural)
- Lesotho Mosotho (singular), Basotho (plural)
In the Pacific, at least two countries use prefixation:
Cities[edit]
- Shillong nong Shillong
Not derived from the name[edit]
Demonyms may also not conform to the underlying naming of a particular place, but instead arise out of historical or cultural particularities that become associated with its denizens. These demonyms are usually more informal and colloquial. In the United States such informal demonyms frequently become associated with mascots of the intercollegiate sports teams of the state university system. In other countries the origins are often disputed.
Formal[edit]
- Albuquerque Burqueno
- Buenos Aires Porteo
- Los Angeles Angeleno[22]
- Rio de Janeiro Carioca
- Massachusetts Bay Stater[23][24]
- Valparaso Porteo
Informal[edit]
- Arizona Sand Cutter[25]
- Birmingham, England Brummie
- Canada Canuck
- Connecticut Nutmegger
- Indiana Hoosier
- Jersey Jrriais (adjectival), Jerseyman (demonym)
- Kansas Jayhawker
- Liverpool Scouser or Liverpudlian
- London, England Cockney (Specifically: One hailing from East London, England)
- Newcastle upon Tyne, England Geordie
- Newfoundland, Canada Newfie
- New Zealand Kiwi
- North Carolina Tar Heel
- Pittsburgh Yinzer
- Scotland Jock[26]
- Sydney Sydneysider
- Ohio Buckeye
- Oklahoma Okie, Sooner
- Oldham Yonner
Ethnic demonyms[edit]
- Abkhazia Abkhaz
- Afghanistan Afghan
- Arabia Arab
- Azerbaijan Azerbaijani, Azeri
- Canada Canadian
- Catalonia Catalan
- Chechnya Chechen
- Cornwall Cornishman, Cornishwoman
- Croatia Croat
- Czech Republic Czech
- Denmark Dane
- England Englishman, Englishwoman
- Finland Finn
- Flanders Fleming
- France French
- Indonesia Indonesian
- Ingushetia Ingush
- Ireland Irishman, Irishwoman
- Jersey Jerseyman, Jerseywoman
- Kalmykia Kalmyk
- Kazakhstan Kazakh
- Kerry Kerryman
- KwaZulu Zulu
- Kurdistan Kurd
- Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyz
- Lapland Lapp (note: considered offensive in Norway and Sweden. "Same" is preferred in Swedish, derived from the land being called Sapmi in the native language)
- Luxembourg Luxembourger
- Madagascar Malagasy, Madagascan
- Mongolia Mongol
- Netherlands Dutch
- New South Wales New South Welshman
- Philippines - Filipino
- Poland Pole
- Scotland Scot, Scotsman, Scotswoman
- Serbia Serb
- Slovakia Slovak
- Slovenia Slovene
- Somalia Somali
- Spain Spaniard
- Swaziland Swazi
- Sweden Swede
- Tajikistan Tajik
- Tamil Nadu Tamil
- Tatarstan Tatar
- Thailand Thai
- Turkey Turk
- Turkmenistan Turkmen
- Ulster Ulsterman
- United States of America American
- Uzbekistan Uzbek
- Wales Welsh
- Yorkshire Yorkshireman, Yorkshirewoman
Fiction[edit]
Literature and science fiction have created a wealth of gentilics that are not directly associated with a cultural group. These will typically be formed using the standard models above. Examples include Martian for hypothetical people of Mars (credited to scientist Percival Lowell) or Gondorian for the people of Tolkien's fictional land of Gondor.
Other science fiction examples include Jovian for those of Jupiter or its moons, and Venusian for those of Venus. Fictional aliens refer to the inhabitants of Earth as Earthling (from the diminutive -ling, ultimately from Old English -ing meaning "descendant"), as well as "Terran", "Terrene", "Tellurian", "Earther", "Earthican", "Terrestrial", and "Solarian" (from Sol, the sun).
Fantasy literature which involves other worlds or other lands also has a rich supply of gentilics. Examples include Lilliputians and Brobdingnagians, from the islands of Lilliput and Brobdingnag in the satire Gulliver's Travels.
In a few cases, where a linguistic background has been created, non-standard gentilics are formed (or the eponyms back-formed). Examples include Tolkien's Rohirrim (from Rohan) and the Star Trek world's Klingon people (with various version of homeworld name).
See also[edit]
- List of adjectival and demonymic forms of place names
- List of adjectivals and demonyms for astronomical bodies
- List of adjectivals and demonyms for continental regions
- List of adjectival and demonymic forms for countries and nations
- List of adjectivals and demonyms for Australia
- List of adjectivals and demonyms for Canada
- List of adjectivals and demonyms for India
- List of adjectivals and demonyms for Malaysia
- List of adjectivals and demonyms for Mexico
- List of adjectivals and demonyms for New Zealand
- List of adjectivals and demonyms for the Philippines
- List of adjectivals and demonyms for the United States
- List of adjectivals and demonyms for cities
- List of adjectivals and demonyms for former regions
- List of adjectivals and demonyms for fictional regions
- List of regional nicknames
- Macedonia naming dispute
- Nationality
-onym, especially ethnonym and Exonym and endonym
References[edit]
- ^ a b George H. Scheetz (1988). Names' Names: A Descriptive and Pervasive Onymicon. Schtz Verlag.
- ^ "gentile, adj. and n.". Oxford English Dictionary (3rd ed.). Oxford University Press. September 2005. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
- ^ "gentile -- adj. of or belonging to a gens or clan; belonging to any nation but the Jews; (gram.) denoting a race or country"--Davidson, Thomas, ed. (1901) Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary of the English Language. London: W. & R. Chambers; p. 382
- ^ "gentile -- adj. of or belonging to a gens or clan; belonging to the Gentiles; (gram.) denoting a race or country"--Macdonald, A. M., ed. (1972) Chambers Twentieth Century Dictionary; new ed. Edinburgh: W. & R. Chambers; p. 544
- ^ "Gramtica Inglesa. Adjetivos Gentilicios". mansioningles.com.
- ^ "Google Ngram Viewer". google.com.
- ^ "Google Ngram Viewer". google.com.
- ^ "Google Ngram Viewer". google.com.
- ^ "Dictionary". Merriam Webster. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
- ^ "Gentils, Demonyms: What's in a Name?". National Geographic Magazine. National Geographic Society (U.S.). 177: 170. February 1990.
- ^ William Safire (1997-12-14). "On Language; Gifts of Gab for 1998". New York Times.
- ^ What Do You Call a Person From...? A Dictionary of Resident Names by Paul Dickson (Facts on File, February 1990). ISBN 978-0-8160-1983-0.
- ^ "Oxford English Dictionary". Oxford University Press.
- ^ "Aristotle's Constitution of Athens, edited by J.E. Sandy, at the Internet Archive". p. 116.
- ^ Press, AIP, Associated (2007). Stylebook and briefing on media law (42nd ed.). New York: Basic Books. p. 112. ISBN 9780465004898.
- ^ "Savannahian". Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Retrieved 2017-10-12.
- ^ "Investing in Future, Quiet Manhattan Apartments Next to Construction Sites" https://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/12/realestate/manhattan-apartments-next-to-construction-sites.html
- ^ "Copquin explains "Queensites" for New York Times - Yale Press Log". Yale Press Log.
- ^ "Corkonian". merriam-webster.com.
- ^ "North West Evening Mail". nwemail.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2014-05-31.
- ^ "City of Waterloo on Twitter".
- ^ "Angeleno". Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Retrieved 2017-08-10.
- ^ "Massachusetts: General Laws, Section 35". malegislature.gov.
- ^ Prior to the Massachusetts State Legislature designating "Bay Stater" as the state's official demonym, other terms used included Massachusett, borrowed from the native Massachusett tribe, Massachusite, championed by the early English Brahmins, Massachusettsian, by analogy with other state demonyms, and Masshole, originally derogatory.
- ^ "The State of Arizona - An Introduction to the Grand Canyon State". netstate.com.
- ^ "Is it a slur to call someone a Jock?". BBC.
Notes[edit]
- ^ Local usage generally reserves Hawaiian as an ethnonym referring to Native Hawaiians. Hawaii resident is the preferred local form to refer to state residents in general regardless of ethnicity.[15]
External links[edit]
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Look up demonym or gentilic in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. |
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Wikidata has the property: demonym (P1549) (see uses) |
- www.geography-site.co.uk Alphabetical list of world demonyms.
- www.everything2.com Demonyms of the World.
- CIA World Factbook NATIONALITY
- www.peoplefrom.co.uk Demonyms of the United Kingdom.