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Collective nouns for nationalities

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(@martha-barnette)
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Hi,

We were just thinking about the collective nouns for people from particular countries. For example, people from Australia are called Australians. This seems pretty easy, but what about people from countries such as Dubai?

Thanks! Jess 😀

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(@martha-barnette)
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I think they call anyone from the UAE an Emirati. But I don't see why you couldn't call them Dubaians if they're from Dubai. It sounds logical, and I think most people would know what you were talking about. I've also heard "Dubawi."

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(@martha-barnette)
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Remember also that for many people, their nationality is not limited by political boundaries but rather by much older and deeper cultural ties. I think some residents of Saudi Arabia, Dubai, UAE, etc, are Arabs or Arabian. Some people in Iraq are Sunni, some Shiite, some Kurd. Many people living in Israel are Palestinian.

Especially when dealing with smaller states in Europe and the Middle East I think the political boundaries should not trump cultural identities.

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(@dhenderson)
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People from the capital of France must be Parisites.

If the ruler of pre-revolution Russia was the Czar and his wife was the Czarina, does that make their kids Czardines?

Finally, if a felon commits felony and a glutton commits gluttony, that's proof that God is an iron.

OK; I'll stop now.

Dan

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(@martha-barnette)
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Well if Nigerians are from Nigeria, what on earth is someone from Niger called?

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