Endings of georgraphical names

[Rachel Adams]

Are these endings "ian/an/ese" the only endings of georgraphical names or are there more? Is their use based on certain rules?
I know we write "Iranian", "Japanese" and "American" but is there a general principle? For example, countries that end with a particular ending have the same endings.
"Hungary/Hungarian" and "Iran/Iranian." The names are different but endings are the same.

 

[GoesStation]

Finding a general rule is going to be tough. Think of Iraqi/Israeli vs. Iranian for starters.

 

[Tarheel]

The -an ending is pretty common. There's German, American, Italian, Russian, Kenyan, Mexican, Venezuelan, Columbian, Australian, Hungarian, Bolivian, Honduran, Argentinian, Rwandan, Brazilian, Czechoslovakian, Serbian, Iranian, and so on. The -ese ending applies to Chinese, Japanese, and Vietnamese, and Portuguese, and Senegalese. Then there are those those that are unique: French and Thai.

I don't know that there's a principle. You just learn those things when you learn about the country you learn about.

Ending in -ish: Spanish, English and Scottish.

Then there's Afghani and Pakistani.

Ending in -an: Indian, Malaysian, and Singaporean.

Maybe you could make a list and see if you can find a guiding principle.

 

[emsr2d2]

Note the correct spelling of "geographical". There is no "r" after "geo".

I echo Piscean's sentiment. Please don't flood the forum.

 

[GoesStation]

Then there's Afghani and Pakistani.

An afghani is a unit of currency. People from Afghanistan are Afghans.

 

[Tarheel]

Endings of geographical names

An afghani is a unit of currency. People from Afghanistan are Afghans.

You are right. (They tend to identify themselves by ethnic group (Pashtun, Tajik, Harare, Uzbek etc.) before they identify themselves as Afghans.)

Infoplease.com is a good site to learn about that kind of stuff.

PS. Here's another one: Irish

:-D

(Geography is one of my favorite subjects. )

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

Re: Endings of geographical names

Trivia: Connecticut is the only one of the fifty United States that doesn't have a name for its people. Any suggestions? Connecticutter? Connecticutonian? Connecticutian?

 

[Tarheel]

Re: Endings of geographical names

Trivia: Connecticut is the only one of the fifty United States that doesn't have a name for its people. Any suggestions? Connecticutter? Connecticutonian? Connecticutian?

Try: Conneticutian.

 

[jutfrank]

Re: Endings of geographical names

Connecticutioner

 

[GoesStation]

That reminds me that people from Michigan are Michiganders. Sadly, that goes for men and women. There are no Michigeese.

 

[SoothingDave]

Connecticut residents are nutmeggers.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nutmegger

 

[Rover_KE]

Are these endings "ian/an/ese" the only endings of geographical names or are there more?

Maybe you could make a list and see if you can find a guiding principle.

Start here to find lists of demonyms, as they are called.

 

[Skrej]

Re: Endings of geographical names

Start here to find lists of demonyms, as they are called.

Rover, there's no hyperlink in that for me.

Here's another irregular (as far as there's any regularity) demonym: Dutch

'An' and 'ian' (the i is more of a spelling convention, although it does sometimes serve to add a syllable) are by far the most common. If you had to make a complete guess, you'd do well to start with 'an'.

 

[GoesStation]

Swiss

 

[GoesStation]

Re: Endings of geographical names

Rover, there's no hyperlink in that for me.

I've fixed the link.

 

[probus]

That name grates on me for some reason.

Sometimes I regret voting against the creation of a dislike button.;-)