Demonym - Double Forms

Double Forms

Some regions and populaces also have double forms, as the concepts of nation and state are diverging once more. Hence, one whose genetic ancestors were from Britain is a Briton, whereas one with a passport from the country is considered British. The Franks settled France, but the citizens are French. This may be the case for states that were formed or dissolved relatively recently. As in the examples below, another reason for double forms of demonyms may be in relation to historical, cultural or religious issues.

  • Greek gods but Ode on a Grecian Urn – Greek may apply to anything connected with Greece, but Grecian is restricted to ancient culture.
  • Israelite but Israeli – Israelite pertaining to the ancient tribes and kingdom of Israel; Israeli pertaining to the modern nation of the same name.
  • Scotch whisky but Scottish art – Scotch used primarily for food and drink products of Scotland (broth, oats. Also mist) – in most other contexts it is archaic and often considered mildly derogatory; Scottish for anything else pertaining to Scotland. Confusingly, Scots is also used adjectivally when referring to the people of Scotland, and/or to either Scots Gaelic or Scots English (Lowlands).
  • Asian refers to people or objects from Asia; Oriental refers to objects.

Due to the flexibility of the international system, the opposite is often also true, where one word might apply to multiple groups. The US Department of State states that 98 percent of the Austrian population is ethnically German, while the CIA World Factbook contradicts this assertion by saying Austrians are a separate group (see Various terms used for Germans).

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