Demonym

High school (ages 12+)
People & Society

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/demonym

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the linguistic origin?From Greek 'dêmos' (people) and 'ónuma' (name), indicating 'name of the people'
2. What is the primary classification?Words identifying inhabitants or residents of a specific geographical entity
3. How do we make a demonym for a city or country?We usually add endings like -an, -ian, -ese, or -er to the place name. Sometimes the word changes in a special way that has been used for a long time.
4. Why do people use demonyms instead of just saying the place name?Using a demonym lets us talk about people from a place quickly and clearly, and it helps in news, science, and everyday conversation.

Toponym: The name of a place, from which a demonym is typically derived.
Anthroponymy: The branch of linguistics concerned with the study of personal names and their origins.
Polysemy: The capacity for a word or phrase to have multiple related meanings, as seen in some demonyms.