An ethnonym (Gk. έθνος ethnos, 'tribe', + όνομα onoma, 'name') is the name applied to a given ethnic group. Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly Ethnonyms can be divided into two categories: exonyms (where the name of the ethnic group has been created by another group of people) and autonyms (where the name is created and used by the ethnic group itself).
As an example, the ethnonym for the ethnically dominant group in Germany is the Germans. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. This ethnonym is an exonym used by the English-speaking world, although the term itself is derived from Latin. Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Conversely, Germans themselves use the autonym of Deutsch.
Contents |
Variations
Numerous ethnonyms can apply to the same ethnic or racial group, with various levels of recognition, acceptance and use. The State Library of South Australia contemplated this issue when considering Library of Congress Headings for literature pertaining to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Indigenous Australians are descendants of the first known human inhabitants of the Australian continent and its nearby islands. Some 20 different ethnonyms were considered as potential Library of Congress headings, but it was recommended that only a fraction of them be employed for the purposes of cataloguing[1].
Change over time
Ethnonyms can take on a political aspect over time, when they evolve from socially acceptable terms to socially unacceptable terms. For instance, the term Gypsy has been used to refer to the Roma. Gypsy (sometimes spelled Gipsy, Gipsey) is a word used to name as a Blanket term, various unrelated ethnic groups or persons fitting the Gypsy Stereotypes The Romani people (singular Rom, plural Roma as a Noun; also known as Romanies or Roma people) are an ethnic group with origins Other examples include Vandal, Bushman, Barbarian and Philistine. "Barbarian" is a pejorative term for an uncivilized person either in a general reference to a member of a nation or Ethnos perceived The Philistines ( Hebrew פלשתים plishtim) (see "other uses" below were a people who inhabited the southern coast of Canaan,
The ethnonyms applied to African Americans have demonstrated a greater evolution; older terms such as colored carried negative connotations and have been replaced by modern-day equivalents such as black or African-American[2]. African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa Other ethnonyms such as negro have a different status. The term was considered acceptable in its use by activists such as Martin Luther King in the 1960s[3], but other activists took a different perspective. Martin Luther King Jr ( January 15, 1929 April 4, 1968) was an American clergyman, Activist and prominent leader In discussing an address in 1960 by Elijah Muhammad, it was stated "to the Muslims, terms like Negro and colored are labels created by white people to negate the past greatness of the black race"[4]. Elijah Muhammad (born Elijah Poole, October 7 1897 - February 25 1975) is notable for his leadership of the Black Muslims
Four decades later, a similar difference of opinion remains. In 2006, one commentator suggested that the term is outdated or offensive in many quarters[5], although its use remains in organisations such as the United Negro College Fund[6]. The United Negro College Fund ( UNCF) is a Fairfax, Virginia -based American philanthropic organization that fundraises College tuition
In this context, an ethnonym has the potential to mimic the phenomenon of the euphemism treadmill. A euphemism is a substitution of an agreeable or less offensive expression in place of one that may offend or suggest something unpleasant to the listener or in the case of doublespeak
Linguistics
In English, ethnonyms are generally formulated through suffixation; by applying an -n to people of Austria, their nationality is known as Austrian. A demonym or gentilic is a word that denotes the members of a People or the inhabitants of a place Ethnonyms can be used erroneously in determining the language spoken by an ethnic group. A child may assume that people from India speak "Indian"[7], despite there being no such language which is called by that name.
Popular Culture
The subjectivity and occasional confusion with ethnonyms was demonstrated in The Simpsons episode Much Apu About Nothing:
Apu: Today, I am no longer an Indian living in America. " Much Apu About Nothing " is the 23rd episode of The Simpsons seventh season. I am an Indian-American.
Lisa: You know, in a way, all Americans are immigrants. Except, of course Native Americans.
Homer: Yeah, Native Americans like us.
Lisa: No, I mean American Indians.
Apu: Like me.
References
- ^ Aboriginal Rountable (1995): LCSH for ATSI People
- ^ http://faculty.ncwc.edu/toconnor/soc/355lect11.htm
- ^ http://books.google.com/books?id=TU_HozbJSC8C&pg=PA40&vq=negro&sig=ycXGnb7ZfX3pMQAaFXnollgzuJU
- ^ Message from the Wilderness of North America. A Journal for MultiMedia History article
- ^ http://faculty.ncwc.edu/toconnor/soc/355lect11.htm
- ^ Mrs. Bush's Remarks at United Negro College Fund Anniversary
- ^ http://books.google.com/books?id=KOsXN9eJvDkC&pg=PA34&lpg=PA34&dq=%22talking+in+indian%22&source=web&ots=f3UdtDOKf5&sig=QFESOJKnRr7DVHNjk_Qpgi6nhBk
See also
A demonym or gentilic is a word that denotes the members of a People or the inhabitants of a place An exonym (from Greek el ἔξω exo = out el ὄνομα onoma = name is a name for a place that is not used within that place by the localDapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic