CHAT: nationalities ( was: Re: CHAT: silly names, prepositions)

David Stokes (that's me) wrote:
>
> What bugs me is when people use "America" to refer to the "United
> States". But it looks like I'm fighting a losing
> battle on this one, since its in common use and there's not much I can
> do about it. :)
>
I'm sorry I poked that hornet's nest. I never expected to create the
reaction this thread took on. Note the "its in common use and there's
not much I can do about it." part of my post.

In an attempt to turn this back to conlangs I ask: Does anyone have
interesting ways of naming nationalities in your conlangs ?

I'll go first. Diom is a very verby language. Consequently, they have an
affix -vae- which turns a place name into a verb with the meaning 'to be
an inhabitant of'. For instance:

Gestomaya (a city and attached kingdom) -- Gestomayvaelis "I am a
Gestomayan."
Ridjek (a city to the south) -- Ridjevaezhis "He is a citizen of
Ridjek."
Atenkemen (a kingdom to the north) -- Atenkenvaenis "They are
Atenkemen."

Sometimes the end of the place name might be altered slightly to
facilitate pronunciation.

Now they could have the same argument over what to call people from the
USA, but they don't because they are from a different world. They
probably have arguments over whether to say people in the Touten Empire
"Toutenvaenis" or should be described with local terms. But as long as
everyone is making money they wouldn't much care (Diom is a trade
language after all).

David Lucas Robert Stokes

Ampiros sernost sharusae, vi at Enfors Vilandenae, vi je tais zhangoln.
The Empire's greatest strength is not the Iron Army, but its language.

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