Editor's Corner

Today’s word for a certain type of other words is demonym. No, it isn’t another way to call someone a devil; demonym is derived from the Greek word for populace (demos) plus the suffix for name (-onym). A demonym, also referred to as a gentilic, is the name for a resident of a locality. For example, a resident of Seattle is a Seattleite; a resident of New England is a New Englander.

In English, we have many different ways to form demonyms for other countries, states, and cities. Here are a few common suffixes and examples, and some irregular demonyms toward the end, but for a much heftier list see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demonym.

-(a)n

• Hungary → Hungarian
• Utah → Utahn

-ian

• Brazil → Brazilian
• Calgary → Calgarian

-nian

• Panama → Panamanian
• Toronto → Torontonian

-in(e)

• Argentina → Argentine
• Florence → Florentine

-ite

• Denver → Denverite
• Wisconsin → Wisconsinite

-(e)r

• Amsterdam → Amsterdammer

• Auckland → Aucklander
• Netherlands → Netherlander

-(l)ese

• Aragon → Aragonese
• Benin → Beninese
• Bhutan → Bhutanese
• Congo → Congolese
• East Timor → East Timorese

-i

• Somalia → Somali (not Somalian)
• Tajikistan → Tajikistani (also "Tajik")
• Yemen → Yemeni
• United Arab Emirates → United Arab Emirati
• Uzbekistan → Uzbekistani (also "Uzbek")

Irregular

• Liverpool → Liverpudlian
• Lyons → Lyonnais (from French)
• Mumbai → Mumbaikar (either gender)
• Naples → Napoletano/a
• Nice → Niçois
• Parma → Parmesan in English, Parmigiano in Italian
• Bali → Balinese
• Chechnya → Chechen
• Denmark → Dane
• Isle of Man → Manx

Kara Church
Senior Technical Editor
619-542-6773 | Ext: 766773
www.symitar.com

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