I've been cogitating about this for a while without much result. I keep thinking about demo or demon and that de- can mean to take something off, as in dehorn. Maybe a demonym could be the kind of word you get by removing a part of a larger word. Dunno, really.

Later.

TM

I've been puzzling over this all morning. Cyn said (more) clues later, if I picked up on her clue would I be one by any chance? I live in Canada.

Annette

I am not familiar with the word demonyn. Will watch for more clues.

Hmmmmm. "Demo" also means people as in democracy, demography and demophobe (like my ex). And "-nym" means name if I am not mistaken, as in pseudonym (false pregnancy came to mind first ;)). So if you put those together, my guess would logically make sense to be "people name". But I am only an Albertan and not an English teacher so what do I know? ;)

Ginny

It's all Greek to me, Ginny. :)

Chuck just got home from the store with some beautiful pink tulips. Wonder if they are Dutch. Probably not.

Sounds more Martian to me! Lol! But I won't disagree with the Virginian. :)

Ginny

PS Happy Ukrainian Christmas for all of those who hail from the old country. :)

Ginny

I think I may be getting it. I've always thought I had Scots' blood somewhere inside, though the connection is so far back that no one in the family has been able to come up with an actual Scot to claim as our own.

TM

Oops! I just realized it is boxing day for Ukrainians. Off a day. :)

Ginny

lol. So glad you got to sleep in even a little, Cyn!! Demo also from demonstration..... or demolition. Hmmm....I think I am confusing myself. I think many of the Ukranian people were celebrating today, as it is a Saturday. So I was told on the phones today, calling th prairies, anyways. So, the majority here seem to think that it has to do with countries. Dutch tulips, quite probably, Cyn. They have huge greenhouse complexes around Amsterdam airport that grow tulips, as well at the Alsmeer Flower market, the largest flower market in the world. If they didn't grow in the Netherlands, they likely went through there!! There, I don't the answer to the question, but I knew that!!! lol.

Nancy.

Aw Nancy, you actually answered this (or demonstrated it in your post) in a way without realizing it!

Cynthia

Nancy ~ I think demolition does not have the same root word demo which means people in the plural sense as in persons. I believe demolition contains the prefix de- as in "un". Demonstrate maybe could have the same root word of demo as is an action of people. Not sure on that one as IMO, it could also mean to "un" something (whatever the heck monstrate means??). Maybe something to do with stratify?? :)

Maybe Cynthia's tulips were grown in Turkey and are therefore Turkish tulips. ;)

Ginny

I always say I'm American with German/Norwegian ancestors. DH can trace his Scottish ancestors back to Robert the Bruce. We visited his castle the summer we spent in Scotland.

Do you gals from Canada call yourselves Canadian or identify more with your local area, ie: Ginny - Albertan?

Oddly for me it is American, German/Norwegian and then Minnesotan. Maybe because I have lived in several states I
identify less with the state.

Depends on the scale of which we are speaking. Sometimes I am an Edmontonian when I am speaking with my Calgarian friends but only cause I live in Edmonton now. But I think most of the time they think I am Alien.;)Home planet: Unknown.

Ginny

demonstrate comes from the Latin demonstrare meaning to point out, prove, or show.

Yeah, I was thinking of the word "demonstrative" as in showing feelings or temperment, after I posted that.

mnwsgal - there is a Canadian joke, and it goes like this: Canada is united by the fact that all other provinces hate Ontario (we used to be the economic powerhouse, and therefore subject of loathing); Ontario is united by the fact that we all hate Toronto (the capital of the province, and it's most wealthy city), and all of Toronto hates Bay Street (our equivalent of Wall Street). So, it seems to be all about money. Or so they say....As with the US, there are many factions. I think that most Ontarians would idenitfy as Canadian; Westerners (Ginny? and is AB part of the prairies...) identify as Westerners; Annette is from the wet coast, yes??; East Coast, our missing Martha Mora, call themselves Maritimers; not sure if you identify first as Canadian, and Quebecers/Quebecois, who knows? Not sure there. And geez, don't shake my family tree too hard!! lol. A Scotsman might fall out and whack you on the head. I actually discovered that my family on my birth mother's side came from Roxboroughshire and here go back to the very early 1800's in Quebec(among their talents, they were stonemasons), and built some of the 1st mills on the rivers, logged on the Ottawa River, helped to built the Rideau Canal, and then travelled round to your California gold rush!! Imagine if that fell on your head!!

So, Cyn I demonstrated that I know something about other countries?? huh, not sure if that is it. And yes Ginny, they are Turkish tulips, aren't they??

Nancy.

Oh my!This is getting to be an eclectic topic now, isn't it?

I just love the English language. So colorful and deep.:)

No idea about Cynthia's tulips. I guess maybe her two-lips are Virginian at the moment. Or perhaps more acurately, North Virginian. Lol! Like I said, depends on the demographic scale.

My mother was born in Scotland as was her mother and father. My paternal grandparents were born in Yorkshire, England and I am told that my maternal great grandparents were Huguenots. Me, some kinda mixed up baby. But, I digress. The question was "What is the meaning of the word demonym?". I believe a demonym is a representative of a group of people from a particular area, place or locale as in country, city, state, province, county, continent ect. For example, I am an Edmontonian, a Canadian, an Albertan, a Westerner, ect ect (depending on the scale?). That I'm not sure of.

Final answer.

Ginny.

Well, I think Ginny and Bobbie have it, maybe TM and so get ****. Nancy, not sure.

A demonym is simply the name for the resident of a locality. Thus we have English for someone from England, French for someone from France, Italian for a person from Italy, etc. The demonym for a person from the Netherlands is Dutch.

Ginny was correct that the term comes from the Greek "demos" meaning populace and, of course, "-nym" meaning name.

Thanks for playing. Have a stupendous Sunday everyone.

Cynthia

Guess I remembered more from Sociology than I thought. Didn't remember that word from class though. Etymology has always fascinated me. Thanks for the trivia Cynthia. Nancy must be sleeping in this morning . :)

Ginny

Uh-ha!! Well, that is a good one!! I just have to swim upstream, sometimes!!
There, my question is finally posted!!

Nancy.

Don't worry, you probably wouldn't remember that word from any class, Ginny. It was first used in 1988 by George H. Scheetz in his Names' Names: A Descriptive and Prescriptive Onymicon

Hahaha! I was referring to the root word "demo" from Socialogy. I remember very little from any Social classes I took. I am very much an introvert but was always attracted to Sociology teachers oddly. Opposites I guess. Then again, I was often attracted to my Bugs teachers, Chem, Psych, and Physioloy profs as well. :) I dated one of my Physiology profs in University (adult entry) who is also a veterinarian, playwright, author, and as he calls himself,a H.B.A.R.P. (human being, aspiring Rennaisance person). A really "odd", genius type person who could go anywhere my inquisitive mind would take me. We still have fun "playing" with words. :)

Ginny

I had been thinking, with a lot of help, that demonym was a word describing one's social or demographic group, so I guess I was pretty close. Maybe a couple of stars worth.

Isn't it interesting that a few of the demonyms can only be used as nouns if in the plural sense. You can say that the French are a jolly group, but not "Jacques is a French." Same with Irish and English. Is Frenchman then considered a demonym too?

Good question, Cynthia!

TM