[-ish] Ireland, Scotland = Irish, Scottish
[-an] Morocco, Germany = Moroccan, German
[-ese] Portugal, China = Portuguese, Chinese
What rule is at play here? 🤔
Cheers!
Netherlands = Dutch
Also, in Deutschland, the descendents of the Alemmani are called Germans for some awful reason.
So I take it that’s why it’s Allemagne?
The German people, as a people, started as the unification of the Germanic tribes. The unified tribe called itself the tribe of all men, Alle Männer in modern German. The history of those times is narrated by romans and Greeks so we have a romanised version of that name, alamanni.
Aha! Hence, the French “Allemand(e)” for “German”.
TIL. Pretty neat!
When I was a kid our family went on vacation to the US. Everyone kept asking if I was Dutch, which I thought was German (Deutsch).
So I kept correcting them, saying I was Netherlandish :)Deutsch is Pennsylvania Dutch, which is German
If you mean that Pennsylvania Dutch is a dialect of German and that Dutch and Deutsch share a common origin, then that is true.
The English Language, where the grammar is made up and the rules don’t matter.
I can add:
[-er] New Zealander
New Zealand -> Kiwi.
Only in the same way Australia -> Aussie, or England -> pom. Colloquial terms
When does a colloquial term become a non-colloquial? Usage by government/official contexts?
In August 2022, Minister of Immigration Michael Wood referred to 85,000 holders of recently approved New Zealand 2021 resident visas as “new Kiwis”.
Or just a different word completely. Dutch.
Pfft. The Dutch…
Odd way to spell Kiwi but you do you pal
Booo I’ma still say New Zealish
New Zealot
for aiur
Adun toridas.
New Zealander is the least odd sounding of the lot.
New Zealandish
New Zealandan
New Zealandese?
New Zealander is the least odd sounding of the lot.
New Zealandish
New Zealandan
New Zealandese?
Newfoundlander
Canada = Canadese (nuts fit in your mouth?)
Canadick
Canadish
Canuck is what we call ourselfs, eh?
: P
Shortened from Canada geese
Canadanian
They should be Canadans
There is no common rule. It varies by the way the language evolved over time.
Also the word you are looking for is “Demonym”
I can tell you that this is called demonym, but I don’t know the answer to your question… The Wikipedia page has a long list of suffixes, but no rules: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demonym
The answer is that many languages import their demonyms from different foreign languages. The reason for the inconsistencies is the different, unrelated sources for words.
There are no rules in English. Ask the people from each country what they prefer
Oh there’s plenty of rules, and if you follow them you’ll be wrong because each rule has 20 exceptions you have to memorize because English isn’t a language, it’s several languages in a trench coat.
they blame the welsh.
I’m in Michigan, that makes me a Michigander. The rules are made up and the suffixes don’t matter.
I’m from South Dakota, I’m South Dakotant. It is what it is.
Do you change the emphasis? da-ko-TANT?
Emphasis still on KO
Michiguy or Michigal
If you’re from Halifax, NS, you’re a Haligonian.
I’m a Connecticutian by birth. Though I’ve also heard someone call themselves Connecticuter once or twice, but never cared for that one.
Either one seems to break a lot of normal grammar/spelling rules.
People from Iceland are only called Icelandic because “Icish” would sound a bit silly.
Icelandese.
Icelandian.
Iceland = Icelandic
Thailand != Thailandic
Thailand comes from adding the Germanic -land suffix to the demonym Thai, a common pattern for non-Indo-European places. There’s also Swaziland and Somaliland (though there is also a Somalia).
Don’t forget Englandic people.
Nah they’re Engl
And Finnlandic
And Titanic! Wait… No.
So we should call them Ices from now on?
Mmm… Icees…
I think I could get behind New Zealandic
I believe they’re properly called New Zoolanders.
As an outsider I’ll say that “Kiwi” is an awesome name for you folks.
(hope I don’t assume too much based on the instance name)
and is one that we are happy enough to use
We’re all Earthicans, no need to divide it up further than that
Aroo!
Terrans? Earthers?
I believe “Earthling” is traditional.
Yeah, but every ant, rat, and snake is an earthling to. That’s saying we are from the planet earth. The other terms are more about being part of the political entity of earth. If you are a Marsling, you could immigrate to become an Earthican, but you can never be an Earthling. Same for the other direction, being from earth we may some day become Martians, but can never be Marslings. Source: it’s as made up as every other part of the English language.
Fine. Human, then.
Earthricans
Denmark -> Dane
I guess that actually the other way around, Denmark : Dane’s field/farm(there is a better English word for mark but can’t remember)
But isn’t Dane a noun? I thought the adjective was danish.
Yes you’re right , the Danes are Danish
It’s based on what sounds best.
Then explain Liverpudian or Mancunian.
They’re both aposematisms - they’re meant to be a clear signal to discourage interactions.
Nothing sounds good in those accents, so it’s anything goes.
Hence ‘Brummy’
That’s why people say Scouse and Manc (not to be confused with Manx)
Find what sounds most natural, if that can’t be found, go with what sounds the least catastrophically unnatural.
Meanwhile there is no specific demonym for people from the united states, you can say american buy that would also include every other north and south american country
Literally nobody who isn’t a Latin American with a chip on their shoulder has a problem distinguishing Americans from “people who live on either north or south america”
People outside the US all assume “American” means US. Nobody thinks there’s even a small chance you are referring to anything else. If you want to refer to South Americans you say “South Americans”
Nobody calls Mexicans or Canadians Americans. Nobody calls Brazilians or Peruvians Americans. They maybe North Americans and South Americans but American means someone from the United States. The Canadians and Mexicans I know would be offended if I called them American.
I think the rest of the world calls them Freedum Dolts.
'Murican seems pretty unique and generally accurate. Just to be clear - that is a two syllable word.
Seppos
Just attach “man” to the end of all of them for maximum offence.
Portugalman
What the fuck are you talking about? The Chinaman is not the issue here, Dude! I’m talking about drawing a line in the sand, Dude. Across this line, you do not. Also, Dude, “Chinaman” is not the preferred nomenclature. “Asian-American” please.
- Walter Sobchak
Is that some weird shortening for People’s Republic of Chinamen? Wouldn’t that be too easy to confuse with Republic of Chinamen?
As in Margaret Thatcher was an Englishman?
Margaret Thatcher even in her death was the inventor of the world’s first gender-neutral bathroom so she can have the exception.
There is no rule. It just is whatever it is.
