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Demonym
A demonym (/ˈdɛmənɪm/; from Greek δῆμος, dêmos, "people, tribe" and όνομα, ónoma,
"name") or gentilic (from Latin gentilis, "of a clan, or gens")[1] is a word that identifies residents
or natives of a particular place and is usually derived from the name of the place.[2]
Examples of demonyms include Cochabambino, for a person from the city of Cochabamba;
American for a person from the country called the United States of America; and Swahili, for a
person of the Swahili coast.
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, a demonym may be borrowed from another language as a nickname or
descriptive adjective for a group of people: for example, "Québécois(e)" is commonly used in
English for a native of Quebec (though "Quebecker" is also available).
In English, demonyms are capitalized[3] 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", while the usage
of local demonyms such as "Chicagoan", "Okie", or "Parisian", is rare. Many local demonyms are
rarely used and many places, especially smaller towns and cities, lack a commonly used and
accepted demonym altogether. [4][5][6]
Contents
Etymology
List of adjectival and demonymic forms for countries and nations
List of adjectivals and demonyms for cities
Suffixation
-(a)n
Continents and Regions
Countries
States and provinces
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Cities
-ian
Countries
States, provinces, counties, and cities
-anian
-nian
-in(e)
-a(ñ/n)o/a, -e(ñ/n)o/a, or -i(ñ/n)o/a
Countries and regions
Cities
-ite
-(e)r
-ish
-ien
-ene
-ensian
-ard
-ese, -lese, -vese, -gese or -nese
-i(e)
-ic
-iot(e)
-asque
-(we)gian
-onian
-vian
-ois(e), -ais(e)
From Latin or Latinization
Prefixation
Non-standard examples
Formal
Informal
Ethnic demonyms
Fiction
See also
Notes
References
Sources
External links
Etymology
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National Geographic attributes the term "demonym" to Merriam-Webster editor Paul Dickson in
a recent work from 1990.[7] 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.[8] However, in What Do You Call a Person
From...? A Dictionary of Resident Names (the first edition of Labels for Locals)[9] Dickson
attributed the term to George H. Scheetz, in his Names' Names: A Descriptive and Prescriptive
Onymicon (1988),[2] 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.[10][11]
Suffixation
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
Africa → African
Asia → Asian
Australia → Australian
Europe → European
North America → North American
Central America → Central American
South America → South American
Countries
Afghanistan → Afghan
Albania → Albanian
Algeria → Algerian
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Andorra → Andorran
Angola → Angolan
Antarctica → Antarctican (also "Antarctic")
Antigua → Antiguan
Argentina → Argentine (Argentinean is sometimes used)
Armenia → Armenian
Australia → Australian
Austria → Austrian
Barbuda → Barbudan
Belize → Belizean
Bolivia → Bolivian
Bosnia → Bosnian
Botswana → Botswanan
Brunei → Bruneian
Bulgaria → Bulgarian
Burundi → Burundian
Catalonia → Catalan
Chile → Chilean
Colombia → Colombian
Costa Rica → Costa Rican
Croatia → Croatian
Cuba → Cuban
Dominica → Dominican
Dominican Republic → Dominican (also "Quisqueyan")
El Salvador → Salvadoran
Eritrea → Eritrean
Estonia → Estonian
Ethiopia → Ethiopian
Fiji → Fijian, Fijindian
Gambia, the → Gambian
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
Kiribati → Kiribatian (also "I-Kiribati")
Korea, North → North Korean
Korea, South → South Korean
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Tonga → Tongan
Tunisia → Tunisian
Tuvalu → Tuvaluan
Uganda → Ugandan
United States of America → American
Uruguay → Uruguayan
Vanuatu → Vanuatuan (also "Ni-Vanuatu")
Venezuela → Venezuelan
Zambia → Zambian
Zimbabwe → Zimbabwean
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Jakarta → Jakartan
Java → Javan (also "Javanese")
Johor → Johorean
Judea → Judean
Kansas → Kansan
Karelia → Karelian
Kayah State → Kayahan
Kedah → Kedahan
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa → Pathan
Liguria → Ligurian
Louisiana → Louisianan (also "Louisianian")
Madeira → Madeiran
Malacca → Malaccan
Majorca → Majorcan
Mandalay Region → Mandalayan
Manitoba → Manitoban
Massachusetts → Massachusettsan
Masuria → Masurian
Minnesota → Minnesotan
Menorca → Menorcan
Mississippi → Mississippian
Missouri → Missourian
Moluccas → Moluccan
Montana → Montanan
Moravia → Moravian
Nebraska → Nebraskan
Nevada → Nevadan
New Jersey → New Jerseyan
New Mexico → New Mexican
New South Wales → New South Welshman
Newfoundland and Labrador → Newfoundlander or Labradorian (also "Labradurian")
North Carolina → North Carolinian (also "Carolinian", see also South Carolina below)
North Dakota → North Dakotan
Northwest Territories → Northwest Territorian
Nova Scotia → Nova Scotian
Ohio → Ohioan
Oklahoma → Oklahoman
Ontario → Ontarian
Oregon → Oregonian
Papua → Papuan
Patagonia → Patagonian
Pennsylvania → Pennsylvanian
Pomerania → Pomeranian
Puerto Rico → Puerto Rican
Samogitia → Samogitian
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Sabah → Sabahan
Sardinia → Sardinian
Saskatchewan → Saskatchewanian (also "Saskatchewanite")
Silesia → Silesian
South Australia → South Australian
South Dakota → South Dakotan
Styria → Styrian
Sumatra → Sumatran
Tahiti → Tahitian
Tasmania → Tasmanian (informally Taswegian)
Tennessee → Tennesseean
Terengganu → Terengganese
Texas → Texan
Thuringia → Thuringian
Transylvania → Transylvanian
Umbria → Umbrian
Utah → Utahn
Victoria → Victorian
Virginia → Virginian
Wake Island → Wakean
Wallachia → Wallachian
Western Australia → Western Australian or West Australian (informally, Westralian)
West Papua → West Papuan
Westphalia → Westphalian
Cities
Aberdeen → Aberdonians
Adelaide → Adelaidian
Alexandria → Alexandrians
Albuquerque → Albuquerqueans (also “Burqueños” or the feminine “Burqueñas”)
Annapolis → Annapolitans
Atlanta → Atlantans
Baltimore → Baltimoreans
Bath → Bathonians
Bristol → Bristolians
Brockton → Brocktonians
Bogotá → Bogotans
Canberra → Canberrans
Cape Town - Capetonians
Charlotte → Charlotteans
Chicago → Chicagoans
Cincinnati → Cincinnatians
Coventry → Coventrians [13]
Danu → Danuans
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Derby → Derbeians
Dundee → Dundonians
El Paso → El Pasoans, El Paseños
Galway → Galwegians
Glasgow → Glaswegians
Hanoi → Hanoians
Hobart → Hobartan
Indianapolis → Indianapolitans
Jakarta → Jakartans
Kalamazoo → Kalamazooans
Kiev → Kievans
Kolkata → Calcuttans
Las Vegas → Las Vegans
Manchester → Mancunians
Manila → Manilans (also “Manileños” or the feminine “Manileñas”)
Mecca → Meccans
Medina → Medinans
Miami → Miamians
Milwaukee → Milwaukeeans
Minneapolis → Minneapolitans
Naypyidaw → Naypyidawan
Oklahoma City → Oklahoma Cityans
Ottawa → Ottawans
Philadelphia → Philadelphians
Pisa → Pisans
Regina → Reginans
Riga → Rigans
Rome → Romans
Sacramento → Sacramentans
San Antonio → San Antonians
San Diego → San Diegans
San Francisco → San Franciscans
San Jose → San Joseans
Sarasota → Sarasotans
Sioux City → Sioux Cityans
Springville → Springvillians
Sofia → Sofians
St. Louis → St. Louisans
Surabaya → Surabayans
Thebes → Thebans
Toledo, Ohio → Toledoans
Tucson → Tucsonans
Tulsa → Tulsans
Valencia → Valencians
Vilnius → Vilnians
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Yuma → Yumians
-ian
Countries
Argentina → Argentinian (also "Argentine")
Azerbaijan → Azerbaijanian (also "Azerbaijani")
Bahamas → Bahamian
Barbados → Barbadian (also "Bajan")
Belarus → Belarusian
Belgium → Belgian
Bermuda → Bermudian
Brazil → Brazilian
Cameroon → Cameroonian
Canada → Canadian
Cayman Islands → Caymanian
Chad → Chadian
Comoros → Comorian
Ecuador → Ecuadorian
Egypt → Egyptian
Ghana → Ghanaian
Grenada → Grenadian
Iran → Iranian
Italy → Italian
Jordan → Jordanian
Laos → Laotian
Maldives → Maldivian
Palestine → Palestinian
Peru → Peruvian
Saint Vincent → Vincentian
Trinidad and Tobago → Trinidadian or Tobagonian (also "Trinbagonian")
Ukraine → Ukrainian
Blackburn → Blackburnian
Blackpool → Blackpudlian
Bangkok → Bangkokian
Boston → Bostonian
Bradford → Bradfordian
Brighton → Brightonian
Brisbane → Brisbanian (also "Brisbanite")
Bristol → Bristolian
Burgundy → Burgundian
Calgary → Calgarian
Canary Islands → Canarian
Canterbury, New Zealand → Cantabrian
Cardiff → Taff
Castile → Castilian
Chelmsford → Chelmsfordian
Chester → Cestrian
Chin State → Chinian
Chittagong → Chittagonian
Christchurch → Christchurchian (also "Christchurcher")
Cirebon → Cirebonian
Corinth → Corinthian
Coventry → Coventrian
Cumbria → Cumbrian
Darwin → Darwinian
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
Kachin State → Kachinian
Kansas City → Kansas Citian
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Kentucky → Kentuckian
Kingston → Kingstonian
Lancashire → Lancastrian
Lancaster → Lancastrian
Lesbos → Lesbian
Lethbridge → Lethbridgian
Liverpool → Liverpudlian (also, though insulting and a negative term "Scouser")
Louisiana → Louisianian (also "Louisianan")
Louisville → Louisvillian
Madison → Madisonian
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
Ohio → Ohioan
Oregon → Oregonian
Paris → Parisian
Perlis → Perlisian
Perak → Perakian
Peterborough → Peterborian
Phoenix → Phoenician
Plymouth → Plymothian
Port Harcourt → Harcourtian
Preston, Lancashire →Prestonian
Prince George's County → Prince Georgian
Rivers State → Riverian
Rochester, New York → Rochesterian
Rockwall, Texas → Rockwallian
Rockwall County, Texas → Rockwallian
Sarawak → Sarawakian
Saskatchewan → Saskatchewanian
Saskatoon → Saskatonian
Savannah → Savannahian[14]
Sicily → Sicilian
Solihull → Silhillian
South Carolina → South Carolinian
Stockport → Stopfordian
Swindon → Swindonian
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-anian
Guam → Guamanian
Mawlamyine → Mawlamanian
-nian
Bendigo → Bendigonian
Buffalo → Buffalonian
Manchester (UK) → Mancunian
Naga → Naganian
Panama → Panamanian
Sligo → Sligonian
Tampa → Tampanian
Tobago → Tobagonian
Torquay → Torquinian
Trinidad & Tobago → Trinbagonian
Wa → Wanian
-in(e)
Argentina → Argentine (and less commonly as "Argentinian" or "Argentinean")
Byzantium → Byzantine
Florence → Florentine (also Latin "Florentia")
The Levant → Levantine
Montenegro → Montenegrin
Palatinate → Palatine
Philippines → Philippine or Filipino (feminine: Filipina, see below)
Philistia → Philistine
Cebu → Cebuanos
El Salvador → Salvadoreños (also "Salvadorans")
New Mexico → Neomexicanos, Neomejicanos (also "New Mexicans")
Philippines → Filipinos
Cities
-ite
Akron → Akronites
Ann Arbor → Ann Arborites
Austin → Austinites
Baku → Bakuvites
Bergen County, New Jersey → Bergenites
Boulder → Boulderites
Brisbane → Brisbanites (also "Brisbanian")
Bronx → Bronxites
Brooklyn → Brooklynites[15]
Carson City, Nevada → Carsonites
Chennai → Chennaiites
Dallas → Dallasites
Decatur → Decaturites
Delhi → Delhites
Denton, Texas → Dentonites
Denver → Denverites
Dhaka → Dhakaites (also "Dhakai" or "Dhakaiya")
Dubai → Dubaiites
Dunedin → Dunedinites
Durban → Durbanites
Erie, Pennsylvania → Erieites
Gaya → Gayaites
Irmo, South Carolina → Irmites
Israel → Israelites (also "Israeli", depending on the usage; see below)
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Istanbul → Istanbulites
Jerusalem → Jerusalemites
Karachi → Karachiites
Kerala → Keralites (also Malayali or Malayalee)
Kweyol → Kweyolites
Manhattan → Manhattanites
Mon State → Monites
Moscow → Muscovites (also Latin "Muscovia")
Montpelier, Vermont → Montpelierites
Mumbai → Mumbaiites, Mumbaikars
New Hampshire → New Hampshirites
Oban → Obanites
Odessa → Odessites
Pahang → Pahangite (also Pahangese)
Patna → Patnaites
Penang → Penangite
Perth → Perthites (also "Perthian" and "Perthling")
Pullman → Pullmanites
Putney → Putneyites
Queens → Queensites[16]
Reading → Readingites
Reno, Nevada → Renoites
Ruskin, Florida → Ruskinites
Saint Paul, Minnesota → Saint Paulites
Seattle → Seattleites
Seoul → Seoulites
Shiloh → Shilonites (as in: "Ahijah the Shilonite")
Shillong → Shillongite (also "Nong Shillong" and "Nong Sor")
Spokane → Spokanites
Sydney → Sydneyites (also "Sydneysider")
Telangana→ Telanganites
Tokyo → Tokyoites
Vancouver → Vancouverites
Vizag → Vizagites
Wenham, Massachusetts → Wenhamites
Westchester County, New York → Westchesterites
Whittier, California → Whittierites
Winston-Salem → Winston-Salemites
Wisconsin → Wisconsinites
Wrexham → Wrexhamites
Wyoming → Wyomingites
Yangon → Yangonites
-(e)r
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Amsterdam → Amsterdammers
Auckland → Aucklanders
Bakersfield, CA → Bakersfielder
Beijing → Beijingers
Belgrade → Belgraders
Berlin → Berliners
Bucharest → Bucharesters
Budapest → Budapesters
Cleveland → Clevelanders
Cook Islands → Cook Islanders
Copenhagen → Copenhageners
Detroit → Detroiters
Dublin → Dubliners
Dresden → Dresdeners
Fife → Fifers
Frankfurt → Frankfurters
Greenland → Greenlanders (also "Greenlandic")
Hamburg → Hamburgers
Hannover → Hannoveraners
Hong Kong → Hongkonger/Hong Kongers (also "Hong Kongese"/"Hongkongese")
Iceland → Icelanders (also "Icelandic")
Kosovo → Kosovars
Leeds → Loiners
Leipzig → Leipzigers
Liechtenstein → Liechtensteiners
Little Rock, AR → Little Rockers
London → Londoners
Lorraine → Lorrainers
Luxembourg → Luxembourgers
Maine → Mainers
Maryland → Marylanders
Michigan → Michiganders
Montreal → Montrealers
Netherlands → Netherlanders (also "Dutchman" and "Hollander")
New Brunswick → New Brunswickers
New England → New Englanders
New York → New Yorkers
New Zealand → New Zealanders
Newfoundland → Newfoundlanders
Oakland → Oaklanders
Pangkal Pinang → Pangkalpinangers
Pittsburgh → Pittsburghers
Prague → Praguers
Prince Edward Island → Prince Edward Islander
Puntland → Puntlanders
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-ish
(Usually suffixed to a truncated form of the toponym, or place-name.)
-ien
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Niger → Nigerien
-ene
Cairo → Cairene
Cyrenaica → Cyrene
Damascus → Damascene
Nazareth → Nazarene
Palmyra → Palmyrene
Slovenia → Slovene (also "Slovenian")
Often used for Middle Eastern locations and European locations.
-ensian
Kingston-upon-Hull (UK) → Hullensian
Leeds (UK) → Leodensian
Reading (UK) → Readingensian
-ard
Spain → Spaniard (also "Spanish")
Savoy → Savoyard
Montagne → Montagnard
Shafter, CA → Shaftard
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Turin → Torinese
Vienna → Viennese
Vietnam → Vietnamese
"-ese" is usually considered proper only as an adjective, or to refer to the entirety. 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)
Allahabad → Allahabadi
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")
Beirut → Beiruti
Bengal → Bengali
Bharat → Bharatiya
Bihar → Bihari
Birmingham (UK) → Brummie
Dagestan → Dagestani
Dhaka → Dhakai (also "Dhakaiya", or "Dhakaite")
Eswatini (Swaziland) → Swazi, Swati
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", "Mallu", 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
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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))
Thailand → Thai
Trinidad and Tobago → Trini
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
Finland → Finnic (also "Finnish")
Antarctica → Antarctic
Greenland → Greenlandic (also "Greenlander")
Iceland → Icelandic (also "Icelander")
Iran → Iranic (also "Iranian" and "Irani")
Slav → Slavic
-iot(e)
Chios → Chiot
Corfu → Corfiot
Cyprus → Cypriot ("Cyprian" before 1960 independence of Cyprus)
Phanar → Phanariote
Used especially for Greek locations.
-asque
Menton → Mentonasque
Basque Country → Basque
Often used for French locations.
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-(we)gian
Dawei → Dawegian
Galloway → Galwegian
Galway → Galwegian
Glasgow → Glaswegian
Magway Region → Magwegian
Norway → Norwegian
-onian
Aberdeen → Aberdonian
Bath → Bathonian
Connacht → Connachtonian
Cork → Corkonian[17]
Dundee → Dundonian
Halifax → Haligonian
Newport → Newportonian
Oxford → Oxonian
Toronto → Torontonian
Truro → Truronian
Often used for British and Irish locations.
-vian
Barrow-in-Furness → Barrovian[18]
Harrow → Harrovian
Moose Jaw → Moose Javian
Oamaru → Oamaruvian
Oslo → Oslovian
Peru → Peruvian
Warsaw → Warsovian
Waterloo → Waterluvian[19]
Wythenshawe → Wythenshavian
-ois(e), -ais(e)
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.
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Prefixation
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:
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Non-standard examples
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
Albuquerque → Burqueños
Buenos Aires → Porteños
Indiana → Hoosier
Los Angeles → Angelenos[20]
Rio de Janeiro → Cariocas
Massachusetts → Bay Staters[21][22]
Nunavut → Nunavummiut or Nunavummiuq (sing.)
Valparaíso → Porteños
Minas Gerais → Mineiros
São Paulo → Paulistas
Rio Grande do Sul → Gaúchos
Tierra Caliente → Calentano/a or Guache/a (Huache/a)
Informal
Australia → Aussie
Birmingham, England → Brummie
Brisbane, Australia→ Brisvegan
Canada → Canuck
Connecticut → Nutmegger
Jersey → Jèrriais (adjectival), Jerseyman (demonym)
Kansas → Jayhawker
Liverpool, England → Scouser or Liverpudlian
London, England → Cockney (Specifically: One hailing from East London, England)
Middlesbrough, England → Smoggie
Newcastle, Australia → Novocastrian
Newcastle upon Tyne, England → Geordie
Newfoundland, Canada → Newfie
New Zealand → Kiwi
North Carolina → Tar Heel
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States → Yinzer
Scotland → Jock[23]
Sunderland, England → Mackem
Sydney, Australia → Sydneysider
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Ohio → Buckeye
Oklahoma → Okie, Sooner
Oldham, England → Yonner
Tasmania → Taswegian[24]
Ethnic demonyms
Abkhazia → Abkhazians
Afghanistan → Afghans
Arab World → Arabs
Azerbaijan → Azerbaijanis, Azeris
Bengal → Bengali
Bosnia → Bosniaks
Belgium → Belgians
Canada → Canadians
Chechnya → Chechens
Cornwall → Cornishman, Cornishwoman
Croatia → Croats
Czech Republic → Czechs
Denmark → Danes
England → Englishman, Englishwoman
Eswatini (Swaziland) → Swazis
Finland → Finn
Flanders → Flemings
France → Frenchman, Frenchwoman
Indonesia → Indonesians
Ingushetia → Ingushians
Iran → Iranian, Persian
Ireland → Irishman, Irishwoman
Jersey → Jerseyman, Jerseywoman
Kalmykia → Kalmyks
Kazakhstan → Kazakhs
Kosovo → Kosovars
Kerry → Kerrymans
KwaZulu → Zulus
Kurdistan → Kurds
Kyrgyzstan → Kyrgyzs
Lapland → Lapps
Luxembourg → Luxembourgers
Madagascar → Malagasys, Madagascans
Mongolia → Mongols
Montenegro → Montenegrins
Morocco → Moors, Moroccans
Netherlands → Dutch people
New South Wales → New South Welshman
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Philippines - Filipinos
Poland → Poles
Scotland → Scots, Scotsman, Scotswoman
Serbia → Serbs
Slovakia → Slovaks
Slovenia → Slovenes
Somalia → Somalis
Spain → Spaniards
Sweden → Swedes
Tajikistan → Tajiks
Tamil Nadu → Tamils
Tatarstan →Tatars
Thailand → Thais
Turkey → Turks
Turkmenistan → Turkmens
Ulster → Ulsterman
United States of America → Americans
Uzbekistan → Uzbeks
Wales → Welsh people
Yorkshire → Yorkshireman, Yorkshirewoman
Fiction
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 or Atlantean for Plato's island
Atlantis.
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
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Notes
a. 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.[12]
References
1. "Dictionary" (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gentilic). Merriam Webster.
Retrieved 25 July 2015.
2. George H. Scheetz (1988). Names' Names: A Descriptive and Pervasive Onymicon. Schütz
Verlag.
3. "Gramática Inglesa. Adjetivos Gentilicios" (http://www.mansioningles.com/gram19.htm).
mansioningles.com.
4. "Google Ngram Viewer" (https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=from+Russia%2C
Russian&year_start=1808&year_end=2008&corpus=15&smoothing=3&share=&direct_url=t
1%3B%2Cfrom%20Russia%3B%2Cc0%3B.t1%3B%2CRussian%3B%2Cc0). google.com.
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Sources
Roberts, Michael (2017). "The Semantics of Demonyms in English". The Semantics of Nouns
(https://books.google.com/books?id=n0ypDgAAQBAJ). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
pp. 205–220.
External links
www.geography-site.co.uk (http://www.geography-site.co.uk/pages/countries/demonyms.htm
l) Alphabetical list of world demonyms.
www.everything2.com (http://www.everything2.com/index.pl?node=Demonyms%20of%20th
e%20World) Demonyms of the World.
CIA World Factbook – NATIONALITY (https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factb
ook/fields/print_2110.html)
www.peoplefrom.co.uk (http://www.peoplefrom.co.uk/index.php) Demonyms of the United
Kingdom.
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