Word Up!

What’s In a Name?

It can be hard to know what to call a group of people. Even seemingly innocuous labels, such as those for residents of a certain city, can get touchy. And once you find the preferred label, there’s still capitalization, hyphenation and usage to worry about. Never fear–the Word Up! girls have scoured the grammar landscape for some label best practices.

Denizen Labels

Denizen labels are used to refer to groups of people from specific locales–cities, states, countries, etc. There are no hard and fast rules for denizen labels. Sometimes, people from the same place may disagree on what they want to be called. For example, someone from Michigan is, by statute, a Michiganian, but many Michiganians prefer Michiganders.

Though confusion often reigns, there are some loose guidelines:

1. If the place name ends in –a or –ia, add –n.
Example: California, Californian

2. If the name ends in a –i or a sounded –e, add –an.
Example: Hawaii, Hawaiian

3. If the name ends in –on, add –ian.
Example: Madison, Madisonian

4. If the name ends in –y, change the –y to –i and add –an.
Example: Hungary, Hungarian

5. If the name ends in –o, add –an.
Example: Chicago, Chicagoan

6. If the name ends in a consonant or a silent –e, add either –ite or –er, depending on which sounds better.
Example: Maine, Mainer

7. If the name ends in –polis, change that to –politan.
Example: Annapolis, Annapolitan

Ethnonyms

Similar to denizen labels, ethnonyms are the names applied to ethnic groups. There are two types of ethnonyms: exonyms, which are labels created for an ethnic group by an outside group of people, and autonyms, which are labels created and used by the ethnic group itself. For example, the ethnonym for the largest ethnic group in Germany, Germans, is an exonym. The Germans themselves use the autonym Deutsch.

Notice the use of hyphens (“Asian-American” but “Native American”) and even capitalization.

Here is one very important rule to keep in mind:
Capitalize the proper names of nationalities, peoples, races, tribes, etc. Examples: Arab, Arabic, African, American, Caucasian, Cherokee, Chinese (both singular and plural), Eskimo (plural Eskimos), French Canadian, Japanese (singular and plural), Jew, Jewish, Latino, Nordic, Sioux, Swede, etc.

The following are recommendations for addressing a person’s race or ethnicity according to the Associated Press (please note that these are exact quotes).

• Asian-American: A person of Asian birth or descent who lives in the U.S. When possible, refer to a person's country of origin. For example: Filipino-American or Indian-American. Follow the person's preference.

• Chicano: Sometimes used by Mexican-Americans in the Southwest. Not interchangeable with Mexican-American. Use only if a person's preference.

• Latino: Often the preferred term for a person from–or whose ancestors were from–a Spanish-speaking land or culture or from Latin America. Latina is the feminine form. Follow the person's preference. Use a more specific identification when possible, such as Cuban, Puerto Rican, Brazilian or Mexican-American.

• Native American: Acceptable for those in the U.S. Follow the person's preference. Where possible, be precise and use the name of the tribe: "He is a Navajo commissioner." In stories about American Indians, such words or terms as wampum, warpath, powwow, teepee, brave, squaw, etc., can be disparaging and offensive.

• black: Acceptable for a person of the black race (use Negro only in names of organizations or in quotations).

• African-American: Acceptable for an American black person of African descent. Black is also acceptable. The terms are not necessarily interchangeable. People from Caribbean nations, for example, generally refer to themselves as Caribbean-American. Follow a person's preference.

We want to hear from you! What are your burning grammar questions? What usage dilemmas are tripping you up? Each month, we will select one reader’s language pickle to feature in addition to our article. Send your questions to wordup@peppergroup.com.

Speaking of names, the masterminds behind Copy Corner have added oomph to their game and their name. Copy Corner will now be known as Word Up! but will still feature great grammar tips, witty rhetoric and dynamic examples to promote better writing and communications.

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