People Who Live in Quizland Are Not Quizlings

You’re listening to A Way with Words, the show about language and how we use it.

I’m Martha Barnette.

And I’m Grant Barrett, and here he is, the fabulous quiz guy, John Chaneski.

Hi, John.

Hey, Grant. Hi, Martha.

Hey.

I have a quiz for you today that is a little more straightforward than most. No tricks or jokes. It’s a quiz about one of my favorite kinds of words, demonyms. You’re familiar, I’m sure, with demonyms?

D-E-M-O. N-Y-M-S. N-Y-M, yeah.

Do either of you want to explain what a demonym is?

Sure, it’s a place name, more or less. It’s actually the thing that you call the people who are from a place.

Right.

So American is a demonym for people from the United States of America.

That’s right. For example, you both live in San Diego, so you are both?

San Diegans, yes.

San Diegans, right. I live in Brooklyn, New York, so I am both?

A Brooklonian and Poe?

A Brooklinite.

A Brooklinite or a Brookliner.

Brookliner, yeah. And also a New Yorker, right.

I’m going to see how much you know about demonyms for people from different countries and cities. We’ll primarily look at forms that are irregular constructions.

For example, someone from Boston is a Bostonian.

That’s a common construction.

Sure. But the people who live in nearby Cambridge are known as what?

Cantabrigians?

Cantabrigians, right. And the ones in the English Cambridge share that same name, right?

First, we’ll try some irregular demonyms that are very common and somewhat well-known. If you’re from Dublin, you’re a Dubliner. But if you’re from Glasgow?

Glaswegian.

Glaswegian, right. Now, the U.S. Government printing office recommends the official demonym Indianan for someone from Indiana, but Indiana residents prefer what?

Hoosier.

Go bring red.

Go bring red.

Nice. If you’re from the island nation of Dominica, you’re Dominican, but if you’re from the island nation of Cyprus, what are you?

Cypriot.

Cypriot, right. If you’re from Iceland, you’re an Icelander, but if you’re from the Netherlands?

Oh, you’re Dutch.

You’re Dutch, right. I was afraid you were going to do something with Reykjavik or that volcano, and I thought we were going to be in big trouble.

Like I said, these are irregular, but they’re sort of well-known. You would think with the land in there would be the Netherlander, and so I’ve heard that sometimes, but Dutch, Dutch.

Now let’s try some that are a little more uncommon. What about people who live in Munich?

Not munchkins.

You’re not far off. Is it Munchens?

No, it’s Munchners.

Munchners.

Munchners, yes. What are people from the nation of Kosovo called?

Kosovars.

Kosovars, yes, very good. People from the United Arab Emirates have their own demonym. What is it?

Emirates?

Oh.

I don’t know.

Close.

Emirates?

Close.

It’s Emiratis.

Emiratis. E-M-I-R-A-T-I-S. Emiratis.

Very good.

Right. Now, here are a few that, to me, are rather unusual. Let’s try them out.

Oh, now these are the unusual ones?

Yeah, these are the unusual ones.

All right. From the halls of Montezuma to the shores of Tripoli, where you will find what people?

I don’t know.

I’ll tell you this one. It’ll help you get the next one. It’s Tripolitans.

Really?

Hello?

Yes, yes.

Tripolitans.

Tripolitans. Now, here’s the last one. This last one. That one will help you get this one. Similarly, if you’re from Minneapolis or Indianapolis, what can you be called?

Indianapolitan?

Yeah, Indianapolitan or?

Minneapolis.

Minneapolis, of course. You can be called that if you somehow manage to get it out of your mouth.

Wow.

You guys did very well.

Wow.

That was a lot of fun.

Thanks for having me here.

Thank you, John.

Thanks for the quiz, John, as always. If you’ve got a question about wordplay, grammar, puzzles, a thing that you think you can stump us with, call us, 877-929-9673, or send an email to words@waywordradio.org.