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{{See also|Ethnonym}}
A '''demonym''', also referred to as a '''gentilic''', is a [[name]] for a resident of a locality and is derived from the name of the particular locality.<ref name="Scheetz">{{Cite book |title=Names' Names: A Descriptive and Prescriptive Onymicon |author=George H. Scheetz |publisher=Schutz Verlag |year=1988}}</ref> The word ''demonym'' comes from the [[Greek language|Greek]] word for "populace" ({{Polytonic|δῆμος}} ''[[Glossary of rhetorical terms#D|demos]]'') with the suffix for "name" ([[-nym]]). In [[English language|English]], the demonym is often the same as the name of the people's native language (the people of [[Italy]] are called [[Italians|Italian]], which is also the name of their language). ''[[National Geographic Magazine]]'' attributes this term to [[Merriam-Webster]] editor [[Paul Dickson]].<ref>{{cite journal |author1=), National Geographic Society (U.S |url=http://books.google.com/?id=krIOAAAAIAAJ&q=demonym&dq=demonym | title= Gentilês, Demonyms: What’s in a Name? |journal=[[National Geographic Magazine]] |volume= 177 |date=February 1990 |page=170}}</ref> It was subsequently popularized in this sense in 1997 by Dickson in his book ''Labels for Locals''.<ref>{{cite news| work=[[New York Times]] |url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F04EEDB143CF937A25751C1A961958260&scp=1 |date=1997-12-14 |author=[[William Safire]] |title=On Language; Gifts of Gab for 1998}}</ref> Dickson himself attributed the term to George H. Scheetz in ''What Do You Call a Person From...? A Dictionary of Resident Names'' (the first edition of ''Labels for Locals'').<ref>''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.</ref> The term first appeared in ''Names' Names: A Descriptive and Prescriptive Onymicon'' by George H. Scheetz.<ref name="Scheetz" /> The term is foreshadowed in ''demonymic'', which the ''[[Oxford English Dictionary]]'' defines as the name of an Athenian citizen according to the [[deme]] to which he belonged, with first usage traced to 1893.<ref name="OED" /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.archive.org/details/constitutionofat00arisuoft|title=Aristotle's ''Constitution of Athens'', edited by J.E. Sandy, at the Internet Archive|page=116}}</ref>

The term demonym is not widely employed or known outside geographical circles and does not yet appear in mainstream dictionaries. It is used by some geographers, both online and within their studies and teaching.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.geography-site.co.uk/pages/countries/demonyms.html| title=Demonyms}}</ref>

Some places, particularly smaller cities and towns, may not have an established word for their residents; [[toponymy|toponymist]]s have a particular challenge in researching these. In some countries, like [[Belgium]] and [[Luxembourg]], there is strong tradition of "demonym-like nicknames", called ''[[blason populaire]]'' in [[French language|French]]. In some cases, this ''blason populaire'' is frequently used as the name of the inhabitants.

== Demonyms as roots ==

While many demonyms are derived from placenames, many countries are named for their inhabitants ([[Germany]] for the [[Germanic peoples|Germans]], [[Thailand]] for the [[Thai people|Thais]], [[Denmark]] for the [[Danes (Germanic tribe)|Danes]], [[France]] for the [[Franks]], [[Abkhazia]] for the [[Abkhaz people|Abkhaz]], [[Slovakia]] for the [[Slovaks]], and [[Slovenia]] for the [[Slovenes]]). Tribes and peoples generally have a longer continuous history than their countries; tribal names often imply a descent from a single ancestor, such as [[Lech, Czech and Rus|Rus]] as the legendary ancestor of the [[Russians]]. In [[Bantu languages|Bantu]] languages the name of the land and the name of the inhabitants will have a common root distinguished by different prefixes (e.g. Buganda, land, and Baganda, inhabitants).

==Adjectives as placenames==
Some placenames originated as adjectives. In such cases the placename and the demonym are often the same word.This dual function is very common in French, where for example ''Lyonnais'' means either the region or an inhabitant of [[Lyon]]. Examples include:

* '''[[Argentina]]''': properly ''República Argentina'' (Argentine Republic) or ''Tierra Argentina'' (Land of Silver), from Latin ''argentum'' (silver). In English, the Spanish form ''Argentina'' is used for the country, the parallel English form ''Argentine'' as demonym and general adjective. The adjectival forms of ''Argentinean'' or ''Argentinian'' are used in the [[United Kingdom]]; however, the Oxford English Dictionary lists ''Argentine'' as the correct demonym.<ref name="OED">{{cite web |url=http://www.oed.com/|title=Oxford English Dictionary |publisher=Oxford University Press}}</ref> (''Argentinian'' is a demonym for the Argentine, an archaic name for Argentina, and hence a less direct derivation.)
* '''[[Brazil]]''': from ''[[pau brasil]]'' (''pau:'' wood; ''brasil:'' [[ember]]-red color), the name of a native Brazilian tree highly regarded by the Portuguese explorers. The adjective ''brasil'' (''Brazil'' in the old Portuguese spelling) came to be the official name for the whole country and lost its adjectival nature.
* '''[[Philippines]]''': from ''[[Philippine Islands]]'' (Spanish: ''Islas Filipinas''), named after King [[Philip II of Spain]]. Here, in contrast, the English form is used to mean of or relating to the Philippines, whereas the Spanish masculine adjective ''Filipino'' is used for the same meanings and for the national language and as the demonym, in other words as the general adjective. The English plural is ''Filipinos'' and the Spanish feminine ''Filipina''.

==Suffix demonyms==
The [[English language]] uses several models to create demonyms. The most common is to add a [[Affix|suffix]] to the end of the location's name, slightly modified in some instances. These may be modeled after [[Late Latin]], [[Semitic]] or [[Germanic languages|Germanic]] suffixes, such as:
* ''-(a)n'' (countries: [[Armenia]] → Armenian, [[Australia]] → Australian, [[Brunei]] → Bruneian, [[Chile]] → Chilean, [[Cuba]] → Cuban, [[Estonia]] → Estonian, [[Germany]] → German, [[Haiti]] → Haitian, [[Hungary]] → Hungarian, [[India]] → Indian, [[Italy]] → Italian, [[Indonesia]] → Indonesian, [[Jamaica]] → Jamaican, [[Latvia]] → Latvian, [[Lithuania]] → Lithuanian, [North / South] [[Korea]]→ [North / South] Korean, [[Malaysia]] → Malaysian, [[Mexico]] → Mexican, [[Ottawa]] → Ottawan, [[Romania]] → Romanian, [[Russia]] → Russian, [[Singapore]] → Singaporean, [[South Africa]] → South African, [[Sri Lanka]] → Sri Lankan, [[United States|United States of America]] → American, [[Venezuela]] → Venezuelan; cities / states: [[Atlanta]] → Atlantan, [[Baltimore]] → Baltimorean, [[Catalonia]] → Catalan, [[Chicago]] → Chicagoan, [[Miami]] → Miamian, [[Milwaukee]] → Milwaukeean, [[Philadelphia]] → Philadelphian, [[Rome]] → Roman, [[San Antonio]] → San Antonian, [[San Diego]] → San Diegan, [[San Francisco]] → San Franciscan, [[San Jose, California|San Jose]] → San Josean, [[Tasmania]] → Tasmanian, [[Utah]] → Utahn )
* ''-ian'' ([[Bahamas]] → Bahamian, [[Barbados]] → Barbadian, [[Bermuda]] → Bermudian, [[Boston]] → Bostonian, [[Calgary]] → Calgarian, [[Canada]] → Canadian, [[Cincinnati]] → Cincinnatian, [[Edmonton]] → Edmontonian, [[Fort Worth, Texas|Fort Worth]] → Fort Worthian, [[Iran]] → Iranian, [[Louisiana]] → Louisianan, [[Louisville, Kentucky|Louisville]] → Louisvillian, [[McKinney, Texas|McKinney]] → McKinnian, [[Ukraine]] → Ukrainian, [[Gibraltar]] → Gibraltarian; [[Isles of Scilly]] → Scillonian; cities / states: [[Adelaide]] → Adelaidian, [[Athens]] → Athenian, [[Brisbane]] → Brisbanian (also "Brisbanite"), [[Melbourne]] → Melburnian, [[Houston]] → Houstonian, [[New Orleans]] → New Orleanian, [[Oregon]] → Oregonian, [[Paris]] → Parisian, [[Peterborough]] → Peterborian, [[Phoenix, Arizona|Phoenix]] → Phoenician, [[Toronto]] → Torontonian, [[Washington, D.C.|Washington]] → Washingtonian, [[Waterloo, Ontario|Waterloo]] → Waterluvian, [[Wellington]] → Wellingtonian)
* ''-ine'' ([[Florence]] → Latin ''Florentia'' → Florentine, [[Philistia]] → Philistine, ''[[Argentina]] → Argentine'' cf. [[Demonym#Adjectives_as_placenames|above]]) 
* ''-ite'' ([[Austin, Texas|Austin]] → Austinite, [[Brisbane]] → Brisbanite (also "Brisbanian"), [[Kingdom of Israel (united kingdom)|Israel]] → Israelite (or "Israeli", depending on the usage; see below), [[Ruskin, FL]] → Ruskinite, [[Seattle]] → Seattleite, [[Dallas]] → Dallasite, [[Denver]] → Denverite, [[Wisconsin]] → Wisconsinite, [[Chennai]] → Chennaite, [[Moscow]] → Latin ''Muscovia'' → Muscovite, [[Vancouver]] → Vancouverite), [[Irmo]] → Irmite, mostly for cities. However, for the state of [[New Hampshire]] → New Hampshirite, and the state of [[Wyoming]] → Wyomingite.
* ''-er'' ([[New York]] → New Yorker, [[New England]] → New Englander, [[Cleveland]] → Clevelander, [[Arkansas]] → Arkansawyer, [[New Zealand]] → New Zealander (Kiwi), [[Pittsburgh]] → Pittsburgher, [[London]] → Londoner, [[Berlin]] → Berliner, [[Auckland]] → Aucklander, [[Michigan]] → Michigander, [[Hong Kong]] → [[Hongkonger]], [[Detroit]] → Detroiter, [[Quebec]] → Quebecer or Quebecker, though see below), [[Montreal]] → Montrealer, [[Winnipeg]] → Winnipegger
* ''-(en)o'' ([[Los Angeles]] → Angeleno or Los Angeleno, ''[[Philippines]] → [[Filipino language|Filipino]]'' cf. [[Demonym#Adjectives_as_placenames|above]]), adapted from a standard [[Spanish language|Spanish]] suffix ''-(eñ/n)o'', as in [[El Salvador|''salvadoreño'']], [[Zamboanga City]] → [[Zamboangueño]], [[Andorra|''andorrano'']], or [[China|''chino'']]
* ''-ish'' ([[Ireland]] → Irish, [[Denmark]] → Danish, [[Scotland]] → Scottish), mostly for countries
** "-ish" is usually only proper as an adjective. Thus many common "-ish" forms have irregular demonyms. (Spain/Spanish/Spaniard; Ireland/Irish/Irishman; Denmark/Danish/Dane; England/English/Englishman; Scotland/Scottish/Scot; [[Poland]]/Polish/Pole; [[Flanders]]/Flemish/Fleming)
* ''-ene ([[Damascus]] → Damascene, [[Nazareth]] → Nazarene)
* -ensian - Hullensian (Kingston-upon-Hull, UK)
* ''-ard'' ([[Spain]] → Spaniard, [[Savoy]] → Savoyard)
* ''-(l)ese'' ([[Calabria]] → Calabrese, [[China]] → Chinese, [[Democratic Republic of the Congo|Congo]] → Congolese, [[The Faroe Islands]] → Faroese, [[Genoa]] → Genovese, [[Japan]] → Japanese, [[Lebanon]] → Lebanese, [[Malta]] → Maltese, [[Portugal]] → Portuguese, [[Sudan]] → Sudanese, [[Taiwan]] → Taiwanese, [[Togo]] → Togolese, the [[County of Tyrol|Tyrol]] → Tyrolese, [[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'' ([[Iraq]] → Iraqi, [[Israel]] → Israeli (in the Modern State of Israel), [[Pakistan]] → Pakistani, [[Bangladesh]] → Bangladeshi, [[Bengal]] → Bengali, [[Nepal]] → Nepali, [[Desh]] → Desi, [[Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh|Hyderabad]] → Hyderabadi), mostly for [[Middle East]]ern and [[South Asia]]n locales and in Latinate names for the various people that ancient Romans encountered (e.g. [[Allemanni]], [[Helvetia|Helvetii]])
* ''[[-ic]]'' ([[Hispania]] → [[Hispanic]], [[Turkish people|Turk]] → [[Turkic peoples|Turkic]]) derives from a Latinate suffix widely used outside ethnonyms (e.g., chemical compounds) which with regard to people is mostly used adjectivally (Semite vs. Semitic, Arab/Arabian vs. Arabic) to refer to a wider ethnic or linguistic group ([[Turkic languages|Turkic]] vs. [[Turkish language|Turkish]], [[Finnic languages|Finnic]] vs. [[Finnish language|Finnish]]).
* ''-iot(e)'' ([[Cyprus]] → Cypriot, [[Phanar]] → Phanariote), especially for Greek locations.
* ''-asque'' ([[Monaco]] → Monégasque, [[Menton]] → Mentonasque, [[Basque Country (greater region)|Basque Country]] → Basque)
* ''-gian'' ([[Norway]] → Norwegian, [[Galway]] → Galwegian, [[Glasgow]] → Glaswegian)
* ''-vian'' ([[Peru]] → Peruvian, [[Oamaru]] → Oamaruvian, [[Kraków]] → Krakovian, [[Oslo]] → Oslovian)
* ''-(y)an'' ([[Sioux City]] → Sioux Cityan; ''not'' Sioux Citian)

==Irregular forms==
There are many irregular demonyms for recently formed entities, such as those in the [[New World]]. There are other demonyms which are borrowed from the native or another language.

In some cases, both the location's name and the demonym are produced by suffixation, for example ''England'' and ''English'' and ''English(wo)man'' (derived from the [[Angles|Angle]] tribe). In some cases the derivation is concealed enough that it is no longer morphemic: ''[[France]]'' → ''French'' (or Frenchman/Frenchwoman) or ''[[Flanders]]'' → ''Flemish'' or ''[[Wales]]'' → ''Welsh''.

In some of the latter cases the noun is formed by adding -man or -woman (''[[English people|English]]/Englishman/Englishwoman''; ''[[Irish people|Irish]]/[[Irishman]]/Irishwoman''; [[Chinese people|Chinese]]/Chinese man/Chinese woman, versus the archaic or derogatory terms ''[[Chinaman (term)|Chinaman]]/Chinawoman'').

; From Latin or Latinization
* [[Ashbourne]] → [[Ashburnian]] (''Essiburn'')
* [[Exeter]] → [[Exonian]]
* [[Halifax Regional Municipality|Halifax]] → [[Halifax Regional Municipality|Haligonian]]
* [[Lviv]] → [[Leopolitan]] (''Leopolis'')
* [[Manchester]] → [[Mancunian]] (''Mancunia'')
* [[Melbourne]] → [[Melburnian]] (''Melburnia'')
* [[Naples]] → [[Neapolitan (disambiguation)|Neapolitan]] (''Neapolis'')
* [[Newcastle upon Tyne|Newcastle]] → [[Novocastrian]] (''Novum Castrum'')
* [[University of Cambridge]] → [[Cantabrigian]]
* [[University of Oxford]] → [[Oxonian]]
* [[Venice]] → [[Venetian (disambiguation)|Venetian]]

; From native or other languages
* [[Aguascalientes]] (lit. "hot waters") → Hidrocálido, from [[Mexico]]´s state and city.
* [[Barbados]] → [[Bajan]] A colloquial term a shortened form of ''Barbadian'' → Bar-bajan → Bajan
* [[Birmingham]] → [[Brummie]]
* [[Botswana]] → [[Batswana]] (plural), [[Motswana]] (singular)
* [[Brittany]] → [[Breton language|Breton]] (from [[French language|French]])
* [[Burkina Faso]] → [[Burkinabé]]
* [[Camura]] → ni-Camura ([[ni-Vanuatu]] inspired)
* [[Colchester]] → [[Colcestrian]]
* [[County Cork]] → [[Corkonian]]
* [[Fontainebleau]] → [[Bellifontain]] (from [[French language|French]])
* [[Glasgow]] → [[Glaswegian]]
* [[Hartlepool]] → [[Hartlepudlian]]
* [[Karnataka]] → [[Kannadiga]] (from the local demonym)
* [[Kiribati]] → [[i-Kiribati]]
* [[Kosovo]] → [[Kosovar]] ([[Albanian language|Albanian]])
* [[Lesotho]] → [[Basotho]] (from [[Sesotho]])
* [[Liverpool]] → [[Liverpudlian]] or [[Scouser]]
* [[Lyon]]s → [[Lyonnais]] (from [[French language|French]])
* [[Mumbai]], India → [[Mumbaikar]] (either gender), Mumbaikars
* [[Nice]] → [[Niçois]] (from [[French language|French]])
* [[Nunavut]] → Nunavummiuq (from [[Inuktitut]])
* [[Pegswood]] → [[Pegswardian]]
* [[Quebec]] → [[Quebec|Québécois]] (from [[French language|French]])
* [[Stockport]] → [[Stopfordian]]
* [[Tamil Nadu]] → [[Tamilian]]
* [[Vanuatu]] → [[ni-Vanuatu]]

; Irregular singular forms
* [[Madagascar]] → [[Malagasy people|Malagasy]]
* [[Spain]] → [[Spaniard]]
* [[Tasmania]] → [[Tasmanian]]
* [[Seychelles]] - [[Seychellois]]
* [[Isle of Man]] → [[Manx]]
* [[Soviet Union]] → [[Soviet]]
* [[Czech Republic]] → [[Czech]]
* [[St Etienne]]→ Stepanois

; New World forms
In the case of most [[Canadian provinces and territories]] and [[U.S. states]], it is unusual to use demonyms as attributive adjectives (for example "Manitoba maple", not "Manitoban maple"); thus they are generally used only predicatively ("[[Ben Franklin]] was [[Pennsylvanian]]") or substantively ("Eight [[Virginia]]ns have become [[President of the United States|Presidents of the United States]]"). There are some exceptions — the attributive adjective for [[Alaska]] for many is ''Alaskan''; the same is true for [[Alberta]] ''(Albertan)'' and [[Hawaii]] ''(Hawaiian)''.

* [[Buenos Aires]] → Porteño
* [[Canada]] → Canadien (male), Canadienne (female), when referring to someone of French-Canadian heritage
* [[Quebec]] → Quebecker or Quebecer, English alternatives to Québécois (which may carry language and political implications)
* [[Halifax Regional Municipality|Halifax]] → Haligonian
* [[Toronto]] → Torontonian
* [[Waterloo, Ontario|Waterloo]] → Waterluvian
* [[Connecticut]] → Connecticuter
* [[Indianapolis]] → Indianapolitan
* [[Indiana]] → [[Hoosier]]
* [[Los Angeles]] → Angeleno
* [[Maine]] → Down Easter
* [[Maryland]] → [[Marylander]] (sometimes {{pron-en|ˈmɛərləndər}} {{respell|MAIR|lənd-ər}} instead of {{IPA-en|ˈmærɨləndər|}} {{respell|MARR|i-lənd-ər}})
* [[Massachusetts]] → Bay Stater<ref>{{cite web|title=Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 2, Section 35: Designation of citizens of commonwealth|url=http://www.mass.gov/legis/laws/mgl/2-35.htm|publisher=The Commonwealth of Massachusetts|accessdate=2008-02-29}}: "Bay Staters shall be the official designation of citizens of the commonwealth".</ref>
* [[Mexico City]] → [[Chilango]]
* [[Michigan]] → [[Michigander]] or [[Michiganian]] (coming from the [[Upper Peninsula]] → Yooper)
* [[Minneapolis]] → Minneapolitan
* [[Newfoundland and Labrador]] → Newfoundlander, Labradorian or Newfie
* [[Oklahoma]] → Okie
* [[Phoenix, Arizona|Phoenix]], [[Arizona]] → Phoenician
* [[Portland]] → Portlander
* [[Rio de Janeiro]] → Fluminense (State), [[Carioca]] (City)
* [[São Paulo]] → Paulista (State), Paulistano (City)
* [[Sydney]] → Sydneysider
* [[Texas]] → Texan (see also [[Texian]] and [[Tejano]])

According to ''[[Merriam-Webster|Webster]]'s New International Dictionary'', 1993, a person who is a [[native]] or [[Residency (domicile)|resident]] of Connecticut is a "Connecticuter", although many prefer "Connecticutian" or the slightly shorter "Connecticite"; The [[nickname]] "[[Nutmegger]]", which is ''not'' a demonym, is also used.

A person who is a [[native]] or [[Residency (domicile)|resident]] of [[Indiana]] is a [[Hoosier]], an irregular demonym whose origin is obscure. The state's official nickname is "The Hoosier State." ''Hoosier'' is also an attributive adjective (e.g.: "the Hoosier Lottery"). Demonyms like "Indianan" or "Indianian" are attributed to the state by federal publications and dictionaries, but are confusing at best and not used in practice. (Since "Indiana" literally means "land of the Indians," the historical mistake initiated by Columbus becomes inherently absurd and clunky: "of the people of the land of the Indians," or perhaps "of the land of the land of the Indians," or even "of the land of the land of the land of the people of india") A search of the state's official website at [http://in.gov in.gov] on June 16, 2010 found 13 instances of the word ''Indianian'' and 47 of the word ''Indianan'', compared to more than 20,000 of the word ''Hoosier''.

==Double forms==
Some regions and populaces also have double forms, as the concepts of [[nation]] and [[Sovereign state|state]] are diverging once more. Hence, one whose genetic ancestors were from Britain is a Briton, whereas one with a passport from the country is considered [[United Kingdom|British]]. The [[Franks]] settled France, but the citizens are French. This may be the case for states which were formed or dissolved relatively recently. As in the examples below, another reason for double forms of demonyms may be in relation to historical, cultural or religious issues.
* [[Greek gods]] but ''[[Ode on a Grecian Urn]]''-–''Greek'' may apply to anything connected with Greece, but ''Grecian'' is restricted to ancient culture.
* [[Israelite]] but [[Israelis|Israeli]]–-''Israelite'' pertaining to the ancient tribes and kingdom of Israel; ''Israeli'' pertaining to the modern nation of the same name.
* [[Scotch whisky]] but [[Scottish art]]--''Scotch'' used primarily for food and drink products of Scotland (broth, oats. Also mist) — in most other contexts it is archaic and often considered mildly derogatory; ''Scottish'' for anything else pertaining to Scotland. Confusingly, ''Scots'' is also used adjectivally when referring to the people of Scotland, and/or to either Scots Gaelic or Scots English (Lowlands).
* Asian refer to people from Asia, Oriental refers to objects

Due to the flexibility of the international system, the opposite is often also true, where one word might apply to multiple groups. The [[U.S. Department of State]] states that 98 percent of the Austrian population is ethnically German,<ref name="Ethnically German people in Austria">{{cite web |url=http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/3165.htm |title=U.S. Department of State |accessdate=2007-08-28 |date= 2007-08-28 |work=U.S. Department of State |publisher=U.S. Department of State}}</ref> while the [[The World Factbook|CIA World Factbook]] contradicts this assertion by saying Austrians are a separate group (''see [[Various terms used for Germans]])''.<ref name="CIA World Factbook">{{cite web |url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/au.html#People|title=CIA World Factbook |accessdate=2007-08-28 |date= 2007-08-28 |work=CIA World Factbook |publisher=CIA World Factbook}}</ref>

==In fiction==
Literature and science have created a wealth of demonyms that are not directly associated with a cultural group, such as [[Martian]] for hypothetical people of [[Mars]] (credited to scientist [[Percival Lowell]]), [[Jovian (fiction)|Jovian]] for those of [[Jupiter]] or its moons, [[Earthling]] (from the [[diminutive]] ''-ling'', ultimately from [[Old English]] ''-ing'' meaning 'descendant') as a possible name for the people of Earth (as also "[[Terran]]", "Terrene", "Tellurian", "Earther", "Earthican" and "terrestrial"), and [[Lilliput and Blefuscu|Lilliputians]] and [[Brobdingnag]]ians from the islands of Lilliput and Brobdingnag in the satire ''[[Gulliver's Travels]]''. Some of these, like [[Venusians]] for a putative resident of [[Venus]], are technically incorrect; to conform with the [[Latin language|Latin]] [[etymon]], they should be ''Venerians''. Said demonyms of [[planet]]s are often used [[astronomy|astronomically]] to describe characteristics, such as surface, satellites, and [[weather]], of the same planets: e.g., a Jovian storm.

==Cultural problems==
There will often be differences between [[endonym]]s (terms used by groups themselves) and [[exonym]]s (terms used by outsiders to describe a group). Exonyms often lack the internal variety of endonyms: they often lump together groups who see themselves as distinct. For example, terms like [[Iroquois]], [[Aztec]], [[Māori]], and [[Eskimo]] might be used by outsiders to refer to groups as a whole, whereas members of each of these groups will favor more differentiated endodyms. In extreme cases, groups may take an exonym as being pejorative; one prominent example is the case of the [[Inuit]] of Canada, who are often grouped together with the linguistically related but distinct [[Yupik]] people by the exonym Eskimo. Languages also might make use of grammatical differences that are lost when translated: in Czech, for example, the language is ''[[Czech language|Čeština]]'', the nation is [[Czech Republic|''Česko'' or ''Česká republika'']], and the people are ''[[Czech people|Češi]]''.

The governments of both the [[People's Republic of China]] and the [[Republic of China]] officially adhere to the [[One-China policy]], use "Chinese" to describe their nationals, and refuse to have diplomatic relations with states that recognize the other. However, in the Republic of China, consisting mostly of Taiwan, many inhabitants do not consider themselves Chinese. A larger number consider themselves both Chinese and Taiwanese.<ref>{{cite web
| author = Yun-han Chu and Chia-lung Lin
| title = The Construction of Taiwanese Identity and Cross-Strait Relations
| publisher = Taiwan Security Research
| url = http://www.taiwansecurity.org/TS/TS-Lin.htm
| date = 16–17 December 1998
| accessdate = 7 December 2009
| quote = A general survey conducted after the 1996 presidential election found that 47.8% of the population said that they were proud of being of both Taiwanese and Chinese, compared to 20.8% proud of being only a Taiwanese and not as a Chinese and only 5.5% proud of being a Chinese and not as a Taiwanese.}}</ref>

Both [[North Korea]] and [[South Korea]] officially refer to their nationals simply as Koreans, since they recognize a single nationhood even if they refuse to recognize each other. They have diplomatic relations with states that recognize their rival.

The demonym for citizens of the [[United States of America]] suffers a similar problem albeit non-politically, because "American" may ambiguously refer to both the nation, the USA, and the conjoined continent pair, [[North America|North]] and [[South America]]. ''United Statian'' is awkward in English, but it exists in Spanish (''estadounidense''), French (''étatsunien(ne)'', although ''americain(e)'' is preferred), Portuguese (''estado-unidense'' or ''estadunidense''), Italian (''statunitense''), and also in [[Interlingua]] (''statounitese''). ''US American'' (for the noun) and ''US-American'' (when used as a compound modifier preceding a noun) is another option, and is a common demonym in German (''US-Amerikaner''). Latin Americans (who are the most affected by this use of ''American'') also have ''yanqui'' (''[[Yankee]]'') and the [[euphemism]] ''norteamericano/norte-americano'' 'North American', which technically includes the USA, Mexico and Canada, but is frequently used in Spanish to refer to the United States only. [[Frank Lloyd Wright]] popularized ''[[Usonia]]n,'' from the abbreviation for ''United States of North America,'' and which is used [[Esperanto]] (country ''Usono,'' demonym ''Usonano,'' adjective ''usona).'' In the spirit of [[Sydney]]sider, ''Statesider'' is also sometimes seen. ''See main article:'' [[Names for Americans]]''.

Sharing a demonym does not necessarily bring conflict. During the [[1996 Olympics]], the residents of [[Atlanta, Georgia]] gave a rousing applause to the Eurasian state of [[Georgia (country)|Georgia]] during the opening ceremony. Many cities that share the same name have [[sister city]] relations, such as [[Toledo, Ohio]] and [[Toledo, Spain]]. The demonyms for the Caribbean nations [[Dominican Republic]] and [[Dominica]], though pronounced differently, are spelled the same way, ''Dominican''. The former country's demonym is the ordinary English adjective "Dominican", stressed on the second syllable. The demonym for Dominica, like the name of the country, is stressed on the third syllable: {{IPA-en|ˌdɒmɪˈniːkən|}}. Another example is the [[Republic of the Congo]] and the [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]]. Their nationals are both known as Congolese.

A few residents of the island of [[Lesbos]] tried to ban homosexual women from being called [[lesbian]]s but it was rejected by a court in [[Athens]].<ref>[http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSN2231197820080722? Court rules lesbians are not just from Lesbos]</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of adjectival and demonymic forms of place names]]
* [[Macedonia naming dispute]]
* [[Nationality]]
* [[-onym]], especially [[ethnonym]] and [[Exonym and endonym]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Wiktionary|demonym|gentilic}}
* [http://www.geography-site.co.uk/pages/countries/demonyms.html Alphabetical list of world demonyms]
* [http://www.everything2.com/index.pl?node=Demonyms%20of%20the%20World Demonyms of the World]

[[Category:Semantics]]
[[Category:Types of words]]

[[an:Chentilicio]]
[[ast:Xentiliciu]]
[[ca:Gentilici]]
[[da:Demonym]]
[[de:Volksbezeichnung]]
[[es:Gentilicio]]
[[ext:Gentilíciu]]
[[fr:Gentilé]]
[[hy:Էթնոհորոնիմ]]
[[id:Demonim]]
[[it:Demotico (onomastica)]]
[[lv:Demonīms]]
[[lij:Nomme de i abitanti]]
[[nah:Tlācatōcāitl]]
[[nl:Inwonersnaam]]
[[ja:住民の呼称]]
[[no:Innbyggernavn]]
[[oc:Gentilici]]
[[pt:Gentílico]]
[[ru:Этнохороним]]
[[scn:Noma di l'abbitanti dî cità dâ Sicilia]]
[[simple:Demonym]]
[[sv:Invånarnamn]]
[[uk:Катойконім]]
[[vec:Nome dei abitanti]]
[[wa:No di dmorant]]
[[wo:Turu Way-Dëkk]]

Demonym - Revision history

imported>Kofi: 1 revision