Demonym (/ˈdɛmənɪm/; δῆμος dẽmos 'people, tribe', ὄνομα ónoma 'name') is
a recently minted term. (Previously, the term gentilic had been
referenced by the Oxford English Dictionary.) Demonyms are words that
are used to identify residents or natives of a particular place. A
'demonym' is also derived from the name of that particular
place.Examples of demonyms include Chinese for the natives of China,
Swahili for the natives of the Swahili coast, and American for the
natives of the United States of America (or sometimes for the natives of
the Americas). Just as Americans may refer to two different groups of
natives, some particular groups of people may be referred to by multiple
demonyms. For example, the natives of the United Kingdom are the
British, or the Britons. Demonyms are capitalized.
In languages other than English, a parallel demonym sometimes does not exist, which may lead to the use of an English demonym as a nickname or descriptive adjective of a group of people. The term has not been adopted by the Oxford English Dictionary or the Merriam-Webster dictionary.
English widely includes country-level demonyms - such as "Ethiopian", "Guatemalan", "Japanese", and "French". But English much more rarely includes lower-level demonyms - such as "Seoulite", "Wisconsinite", "Chicagoan", and "Fluminense".Indeed, even some large cities such as Australia's Perth, and many other places, lack a commonly used and accepted "demonic". This poses a particular challenge to those toponymists who research demonyms.
Also, demonyms must be considered a subtype of adjectives and nouns used as appellations.
In languages other than English, a parallel demonym sometimes does not exist, which may lead to the use of an English demonym as a nickname or descriptive adjective of a group of people. The term has not been adopted by the Oxford English Dictionary or the Merriam-Webster dictionary.
English widely includes country-level demonyms - such as "Ethiopian", "Guatemalan", "Japanese", and "French". But English much more rarely includes lower-level demonyms - such as "Seoulite", "Wisconsinite", "Chicagoan", and "Fluminense".Indeed, even some large cities such as Australia's Perth, and many other places, lack a commonly used and accepted "demonic". This poses a particular challenge to those toponymists who research demonyms.
Also, demonyms must be considered a subtype of adjectives and nouns used as appellations.
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