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UllaCountryGal
02-03-2006, 5:21pm
I was laying awake last night in bed just waiting to fall asleep and I was thinking

There are countries in Europe that end with -land
-Greenland
-Iceland
-Finland
-Poland
-Ireland
-Scotland
-England

Two of them have languages and nationality titles(adj.) that aren't -ish
and those are Greenland and Iceland they have -ic......languages: Greenlandic, Icelandic.....nationalities: Greenlandic, Icelandic, whilst all the other -land counries get to be -ish
Is this discrimination against countries that are more in America that Europe or against islands that are in the North-Atlantic Ocean?

After that thought I started to think more about this.....I'm an Icelander as I come from Iceland, a person form Greenland is a Greenlander, a person form Finland is a Finn, a person form Poleland is a Pole,a person form Scotland is a Scot, a person form Ireland is an Irishman/woman and a person from England is an Englishman/woman. Again its the same countries that are differnt.

What's up with this? I wonder.........
Ania
02-03-2006, 5:35pm
Hmmm, that's interesting. Language works in mysterious ways, hehe :D
Troll
02-03-2006, 5:42pm
Very interesting.
SHANIANUTS!
02-03-2006, 5:43pm
I could add some ethnic humor but I can see this is a serious thread...;)
Paul
02-03-2006, 5:49pm
I'm studying English grammar at the moment so that's interesting, the English language must be so difficult for others to learn.

Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish, Danish could also all be Nordic, the "ic" similar to Icelandic, Greenlandic. Maybe its just to do with the language spoken in Scandanavian places, they might have grouped the countries for some reason.
Paul
02-03-2006, 5:54pm
After that thought I started to think more about this.....I'm an Icelander as I come from Iceland, a person form Greenland is a Greenlander, a person form Finland is a Finn, a person form Poleland is a Pole,a person form Scotland is a Scot, a person form Ireland is an Irishman/woman and a person from England is an Englishman/woman. Again its the same countries that are differnt.

What's up with this? I wonder.........

I guess because if it followed the same rule, you would be an "ice" and a greenlander a "green", maybe they thought it sounded better. Or "Iceish" and "Greenish".

I see what you mean though, its like an "us and them" thing. English wouldn't be Englander. Although Scottish from the highlands are highlanders. Weird. :huh:
aFinn
02-03-2006, 5:58pm
a person form Finland is a FinnNo kidding?! :p

Well, I don't know about English grammar enough to answer the actual question of how different nationalities have different endings, perhaps this thread will bring the answer at some point, good luck!
Paul
02-03-2006, 6:02pm
Thats so weird! Just the same way the administrator of the Shania forums is also a Finn. Wow!
SHANIANUTS!
02-03-2006, 6:10pm
Thats so weird! Just the same way the administrator of the Shania forums is also a Finn. Wow!...please bear in mind always Marika is really an administratrix but she chose to retain the male title instead ... some one said the trix ending makes it sound too much like a dominatrix..;)
UllaCountryGal
02-03-2006, 6:12pm
No kidding?! :p

Well, I don't know about English grammar enough to answer the actual question of how different nationalities have different endings, perhaps this thread will bring the answer at some point, good luck!

I actually thought of your username when I was wondering about this last night as i thought I should maybe post this here.
Paul
02-03-2006, 6:13pm
...please bear in mind always Marika is really an administratrix but she chose to retain the male title instead ... some one said the trix ending makes it sound too much like a dominatrix..;)

Is that what she told you? No, the real reason is that it sounded too much like Twix.....the yummy chocolate bar. She didn't want to give people the wrong impression that she is a chocoholic.

http://www.picus.ch/images/Produits/Masterfood/twix.jpg

Sorry Ulla, I didn't mean to turn it into the usual chocolate thread that most threads end up becoming so soon......
UllaCountryGal
02-03-2006, 6:15pm
oh and yeah this is a tricky question, but I'm kind of releaved that I'm not an Ice and dont speak Iceish. But if it was that way, I guess that would be the normal thing.

So could it be just because Greenland and Iceland happen to have unfortunate names for the -ish system?
SHANIANUTS!
02-03-2006, 6:15pm
Is that what she told you? No, the real reason is that it sounded too much like Twix.....the yummy chocolate bar. She didn't want to give people the wrong impression that she is a chocoholic.

http://www.picus.ch/images/Produits/Masterfood/twix.jpg

Sorry Ulla, I didn't mean to turn it into the usual chocolate thread that most threads end up becoming so soon.........you are sooooo bad!!!!!!!;)
SHANIANUTS!
02-03-2006, 6:17pm
I think Icelandish would just sound too much like Outlandish.
SHANIANUTS!
02-03-2006, 6:18pm
...and Icelandic cod has a much nicer ring to it...
Paul
02-03-2006, 6:18pm
Another point, doesn't the Icelandic language come from the Germanic language originally? Yet people from Germany are not Germanic, they are Germans. But people from Iceland are Icelandic. A mystery......
UllaCountryGal
02-03-2006, 6:25pm
Another point, doesn't the Icelandic language come from the Germanic language originally? Yet people from Germany are not Germanic, they are Germans. But people from Iceland are Icelandic. A mystery......

it does indeed come from the Germanic language. Germany is just a tricky country........ like in icelandic or should i say "iceish" its one of the -land countries that are just like Poland and Ireland
SHANIANUTS!
02-03-2006, 6:28pm
How do you explain the Italians and Portuguese?
Paul
02-03-2006, 6:30pm
oh and yeah this is a tricky question, but I'm kind of releaved that I'm not an Ice and dont speak Iceish. But if it was that way, I guess that would be the normal thing.

So could it be just because Greenland and Iceland happen to have unfortunate names for the -ish system?

That could be it......

I was just reading some facts about Iceland, and it seems the people are very modern in their thinking, the world could learn a lot from Iceland.

-Over 99% of the country's electricity is produced from hydropower and geothermal energy.

-Iceland has extensive medical and genealogical records about its population dating back to the age of settlement

-The unemployment rate of 1.8% (3rd quarter of 2005) is among the lowest in the European Economic Area.

-Iceland's literacy rate is among the highest in the world, and a love of literature, art, chess, and other intellectual pursuits is widespread.

-Icelandic society and culture is very "woman friendly," with many women in leadership positions in government and business.

Not bad for 300,000 people!

Maybe the rest of Europe and the Americas can learn something from this small country.......
Paul
02-03-2006, 6:33pm
How do you explain the Italians and Portuguese?

Different endings again.....Italians flows well with Italy. Italy-ans.

Portugal....has to be Portug-something, so like Japan, Japanese flows well to speak. Portuguese. To call people from Portugal "Ports" would be losing a lot of the word.
SHANIANUTS!
02-03-2006, 6:37pm
....we used to called the Japanese Japs...but I believe that was during and after WWII and it was of course derogatory and demeaning...
SHANIANUTS!
02-03-2006, 6:37pm
...to say nothing of all the Pole Polack jokes on All In The Family etal...
Paul
02-03-2006, 6:37pm
China=Chinese, same as Portugal again.
SHANIANUTS!
02-03-2006, 6:45pm
Chinians sounds more natural and flowing.
UllaCountryGal
02-03-2006, 6:49pm
this is a mistery to me..... Who was it that gave languages and countries their english names.... I wouldnt be surprised if that was the only person who has the answer.
Paul
02-03-2006, 6:52pm
Chinians sounds more natural and flowing.

Malta=Maltese, or for you Maltesians, or for Marika.....

http://images.ciao.com/ide/images/products/normal/585/product-459585.jpg

Sorry again Ulla.......
Paul
02-03-2006, 6:54pm
this is a mistery to me..... Who was it that gave languages and countries their english names.... I wouldnt be surprised if that was the only person who has the answer.

I don't like the way we change place names, so Roma becomes Rome. Why is that? Roma is easy to say.......
UllaCountryGal
02-03-2006, 6:58pm
I don't like the way we change place names, so Roma becomes Rome. Why is that? Roma is easy to say.......

Well I find Rome more simple to say but harder to spell as it has a silent -e

So I gather you wouldnt be interested in stopping speaking English and starting speaking Englandic instead?
Paul
02-03-2006, 7:01pm
Well I find Rome more simple to say but harder to spell as it has a silent -e

So I gather you wouldnt be interested in stopping speaking English and starting speaking Englandic instead?

English, Englandic, Englandese, Englandian...... :funny:

What about Dutch? Holland, Netherlands = Dutch? :uhh: I don't even want to know!
aFinn
02-03-2006, 7:07pm
Is that what she told you? No, the real reason is that it sounded too much like Twix.....the yummy chocolate bar. She didn't want to give people the wrong impression that she is a chocoholic.I must have missed that.

:funny: at your Twix explanation :biglaugh:
UllaCountryGal
02-03-2006, 7:08pm
English, Englandic, Englandese, Englandian...... :funny:

What about Dutch? Holland, Netherlands = Dutch? :uhh: I don't even want to know!

well Holland - Hollandic

Netherlands dont work as it is in plural.
Paul
02-03-2006, 7:12pm
Netherlandic maybe.....

What about Wales? Welsh.....almost the whole word changes. Walesians, Walesish, Walesian. Weird language.......I feel bad for people having to learn it, we only know it because we grow up hearing it, we don't question why things are like that. Until now!
SHANIANUTS!
02-03-2006, 7:19pm
this is a mistery to me..... Who was it that gave languages and countries their english names.... I wouldnt be surprised if that was the only person who has the answer.I think the English are to blame!!:)
SHANIANUTS!
02-03-2006, 7:20pm
Netherlandic maybe.....

What about Wales? Welsh.....almost the whole word changes. Walesians, Walesish, Walesian. Weird language.......I feel bad for people having to learn it, we only know it because we grow up hearing it, we don't question why things are like that. Until now!If you play Scrabble in English you question the language ALL the time...
UllaCountryGal
02-03-2006, 7:34pm
Wales - i reckon it should be Walesian both for the language and the nationality
Troll
02-03-2006, 10:42pm
Is that what she told you? No, the real reason is that it sounded too much like Twix.....the yummy chocolate bar. She didn't want to give people the wrong impression that she is a chocoholic.

http://www.picus.ch/images/Produits/Masterfood/twix.jpg

Sorry Ulla, I didn't mean to turn it into the usual chocolate thread that most threads end up becoming so soon......

Twix are good. :D
melli
02-04-2006, 8:10am
LOL :funny: ...what a thread.
UllaCountryGal
02-04-2006, 8:45pm
LOL :funny: ...what a thread.

:hmmm: yeah?

btw.... I just posted a question about this at the scientific(not just scienitific) university website. http://www.visindavefur.hi.is/ I am hoping that they'll answer it. I will post here again if they do.
Troll
02-04-2006, 11:05pm
:hmmm: yeah?

btw.... I just posted a question about this at the scientific(not just scienitific) university website. http://www.visindavefur.hi.is/ I am hoping that they'll answer it. I will post here again if they do.

Good idea let us know what they say.
UllaCountryGal
02-05-2006, 8:26am
and one more land we havent thought about Switzerland...... What nationality is there?
Annette
02-05-2006, 1:13pm
and one more land we havent thought about Switzerland...... What nationality is there?
Aren't they Swiss?

Anyway, someone mentioned English grammar... I don't think it's a grammatical question but rather a historical question. I don't know what it's called... but a language history question. You know.. the study of how the words originated.
Ania
02-05-2006, 2:06pm
I'm studying English grammar at the moment so that's interesting, the English language must be so difficult for others to learn.


It's not that bad. You should try learning Polish - now that's a difficult language. Seriously, our language is crazy!!! LL
UllaCountryGal
02-05-2006, 5:10pm
Well we are studdying the origin of the English language at school. And we all agreed that English is one of the easiest languages as its so easy to learn the basics of it.

one language I recomend people should not learn do to difficulty is Icelandic. We have a very hard grammar and all sorts of big and hard rules.
scotsman4shania
02-05-2006, 11:31pm
Viltu leiðrétta Íslenska mína þegar ér er að tala? :cool: :supwink:

You're right, Icelandic is not the easiest language to learn :hmmm:
UllaCountryGal
02-06-2006, 12:13pm
Viltu leiðrétta Íslenska mína þegar ér er að tala? :cool: :supwink:

You're right, Icelandic is not the easiest language to learn :hmmm:


Corrected: "Villtu leiðrétta íslenskuna mína þegar ég er að tala?"

but good job....... :funny: