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illustration Demonym

Demonym

[DEM-ə-nim]

Part of speech: noun

Origin: Greek, mid-19th century

1.

A noun used to denote the natives or inhabitants of a particular country, state, city, etc.

2.

Descriptive term used by a writer as a pen name.

Examples of Demonym in a sentence

"He knew the demonym for a resident of Indiana is Hoosier, but he didn’t know why."

"I currently live in Australia, but I still claim my demonym as British."

About Demonym

A demonym identifies a native of a certain geographical place or ethnic group. These words might be as simple as adding a suffix (Japanese, Egyptian, Parisian) or it could be an entirely different word (Okie, Mancunian, Neapolitan).

Did you Know?

Demonym comes from Greek — “dēmos” meaning people and “onuma” meaning name — but the usage has changed over time. It used to be applied to a noun used as a pen name, such as a pamphlet written by “A Country Clergyman.” The term was resurrected in the 1990s as a descriptor of residency.

illustration Demonym

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