Unexpected names for citizens

We gain labels based on where we live. Usually the town, city, province, state or country name gains a suffix such as -ian, -ese, -er, -i, -n, -ish or –ite.

To keep things interesting, there are some odd exceptions. For example, residents of Cyprus are called Cypriots. Doesn’t that sound like something a flash mob might incite?

Why do we refer to people from the Netherlands or Holland as the Dutch?
How about residents of Smithers, British Columbia…they are called Smithereens (As in blown to bits?)

Then there are Michiganders. Sounds like geese to me, but they form the masses of Michigan.

Here are others that don’t quite fit the mould:

  • Mascoutan (Saint-Hyacinthe, QC) – Huh?
  • Haligonian (Halifax, NS)
  • Monégasque (Monaco)
  • Novocastrian (Newcastle)
  • Filipino (Philippines) – What’s with substituting an F for the Ph and where did the double PPs go?
  • Glaswegian (Glasgow)
  • Finn (Finland) – No suffix required. Why not just lop off part of the name?
One of my favourites names has to be Liverpudlians for the residents of Liverpool. Kiwi is also an endearing colloquialism for people in New Zealand. (May those earthquakes and aftershocks end soon.)

However you slice these demonyms (names for residents or citizens), I consider them to be rather

AWESOME!

So, are you fond of any particular demonyms?

Comments

  1. AnonymousFriday, February 25, 2011 6:57:00 am

    I was a Sydneysider (hence an honorary Aussie) for eight years. [Sidebar: that double ess in Aussie is pronounced like a zed. As is the double ess in cossie (short for costume = swimming costume = swimsuit).]

    While in England I was a Cantabrigian (I lived in Cambridge) as I had declined to be an Oxonian (they live in Oxford). I was accepted by the University of Birmingham, too, so I could have attended the Shakespeare Institute, but I didn’t fancy being a Brummie.

    FYI Liverpudlians do not usually refer to themselves as such. They are Scousers, and proud of it. There is a great rivalry between Scousers and Mancunians in soccer – you can be either for Liverpool FC or Manchester United, but not both!

    Lorna

    ReplyDelete
  2. UnknownThursday, August 25, 2011 8:51:00 am

    Not sure what to call someone from a particular place? Refer to Stewart's Laws of Municipal Onomastics, which tell you whether to add -an, -er or something else to the end of a place name. Link courtesy of Daily Writing Tips.

    Thanks to Mark Nichol, the author of that post, I found out that people from Connecticut are fondly called Nutmeggers. Love it!

    ReplyDelete

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