Re: -an, -ian

On Thu, 20 Jan 2000, Muke Tever wrote:

>>> English is no exception: for any placename, I can derive an adjective and a
>>> noun (usually identical in form) using one of a number of suffixes: -an,
>>
>>I've noticed an odd tendency for some words that end in -a to change the
>>-a to -ian, as in Florida -> Floridian [in fact, when I was a child, I
>>thought Florida was spelt "Floridia", with the second _i_ being
>>silent!], but America -> American
>
>Adding -ian to America would have to be *Americkian or it'd sound like
>"amerissian", which nobody would stand for...
Sounds too much like americium (what the little radioactive chip in
your smoke detector is made of).

>
>I haven't the faintest idea how to make a proper place adjective for my town
>"Collegedale"... The only one that makes proper sense sounds too much like
>"colleged alien".
Collegedalwegian? Collegedalmation? Collegedaltonian? Collegedalvian?

Padraic.

>
>     *Muke!
>