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Graham Irwin: some ramblings

insider or outsider?

How does anyone know what ending to apply to describe someone who hails from a particular place? And who decides? Are there any rules that can help us out?

If you come from London or New York, it’s easy, you’re a Londoner or a New Yorker – but does that mean a resident of York is a Yorker? I think not, but even those good people at York council are not sure! Someone who lives in Paris is a Parisian; a resident of Rome is a Roman; a citizen of Moscow is a Muscovite; a person from Madrid is a Madrilenian; and someone from Sydney is a Sydneysider – oh yes!

Someone who hails from Edinburgh is an Edinburgher and a person from Hamburg is a Hamburger. But what of those from Stockholm, Rio de Janeiro, Budapest, Istanbul or Bangkok? Not to mention anyone from Pratts Bottom, Curry Mallet, Red Rice or Pollokshields.

From Liverpool we have Liverpudlians – when did the pool become a pudl? – and Manchester produces Mancunians by the score (from the Latin Mancunium). Also preserving the Latin flavour, Oxford produces Oxonians whilst Cambridge is full of Cantabrigians. And people from Wolverhampton are known as Wulfrunians.

A Glaswegian comes from Glasgow, and a Melburnium (male) or Melburna (female) from Melbourne. Someone from Michigan is a Michigander – dare one ask if a female from Michigan is a Michigoose?

So, no, I guess there are no rules. There may be several common suffixes such as: –ian, –ite, –er and –ise, but rules, there are none. And no sight of any guidelines, either.

If you have any further oddities or corrections please feel free let me know using the contact form.

Signed by Graham