# adjectival forms of british place names **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 8, 2001, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adjectival-forms-of-british-place-names/53636 "2001-02-08T16:24:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2001, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adjectival-forms-of-british-place-names/53636/1 "2001-02-08T16:24:25Z")
Where in the heck do these words come from? ## Place Adjective Liverpool Liverpudlian Glasgow Glaswegian Oxford Oxonian Cambridge Canterbridgian Manchester Mancunian Newcastle Geordie Not sure on the spelling of “Canterbridgian.” Anyhow, can anyone explain the etymology of any of these? ---
**Author:** ![Fretful\_Porpentine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fretful_porpentine/32/2873_2.png) [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2001, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adjectival-forms-of-british-place-names/53636/2 "2001-02-08T16:33:14Z")
I believe “Mancunian” is from “Mancunium,” the Roman name for Manchester. Cambridge was called “Canterbrigge” as late as Chaucer’s time. Can’t help with the others, but I’m sure somebody will be along to fill in the gaps. ---
**Author:** ![scratch1300](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dfb087/32.png) [@scratch1300](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scratch1300)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2001, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adjectival-forms-of-british-place-names/53636/3 "2001-02-08T16:39:25Z")
They’re all Latin, except for _Geordie_ and _Glaswegian_. The latter interests me also, as the only other _-wegians_ I know of are _Nor_wegians and _Gal_wegians and they are, of course, _-way_ places. By the way, the adjectival form of Cambridge is _Cantabridgian_, also used here for Cambridge, Massachusetts. ---
**Author:** ![scratch1300](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dfb087/32.png) [@scratch1300](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scratch1300)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2001, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adjectival-forms-of-british-place-names/53636/4 "2001-02-08T16:44:43Z")
Sorry. That should be spelled _Cantabrigian_. ---
**Author:** ![Andy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/aeb1de/32.png) [@Andy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2001, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adjectival-forms-of-british-place-names/53636/5 "2001-02-08T16:45:02Z")
Liverpudlian (archaic, Scouser is the correct term) comes from the old Breton word ‘pudle’ meaning ‘to steal’. Hence Liverpudlian means ‘thief from Liverpool’. ---
**Author:** ![Andy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/aeb1de/32.png) [@Andy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2001, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adjectival-forms-of-british-place-names/53636/6 "2001-02-08T16:48:37Z")
I found one explanation for Geordie, but I’m sure I’ve heard different reasons in the past… > [@](#): > > The word “Geordie” is said to date from the early 18th century, when Newcastle people declared support for the English kings George I and II, in opposition to the rest of the population of Northumberland, who supported the Scottish Jacobite rebellions. ---
**Author:** ![scratch1300](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dfb087/32.png) [@scratch1300](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scratch1300)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2001, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adjectival-forms-of-british-place-names/53636/7 "2001-02-08T16:49:48Z")
And, to add to the OP, there used to be made a distinction between a _Kentishman_ and a _Man of Kent_: if you lived east of a certain line you were one, and if you lived west of it you were the other. Does this still hold true? ---
**Author:** ![Pjen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Pjen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pjen)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2001, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adjectival-forms-of-british-place-names/53636/8 "2001-02-08T17:11:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by android209 \* > \*\*Liverpudlian (archaic, Scouser is the correct term) comes from the old Breton word ‘pudle’ meaning ‘to steal’. Hence Liverpudlian means ‘thief from Liverpool’. \*\* This sounds like anti-scouse prejudice. See [http://www.xrefer.com/entry.jsp?xrefid=443772](http://www.xrefer.com/entry.jsp?xrefid=443772) and [http://home.echo-on.net/~buzzcorr/LIVERPUDLIAN%20-%20LINGO.htm](http://home.echo-on.net/~buzzcorr/LIVERPUDLIAN%20-%20LINGO.htm) Given that Liverpool is often referred to as The Pool, and puddle is a small pool, i’d take a lot of persuading (including cast-iron cites) that Liverpudlian has anything to do with thievery, especially as scousers are regularly falsely accused of being ‘scallies’ (law breakers etc.)- ‘What do you call a Scouser in Court?- The Defendant.’ ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2001, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adjectival-forms-of-british-place-names/53636/9 "2001-02-08T17:23:17Z")
Just to cnofuse you even more, people from Leeds are known as Loiners but this is an old term and is hardly used - except by Leeds Rugby League Club supporters. ---
**Author:** ![Andy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/aeb1de/32.png) [@Andy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2001, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adjectival-forms-of-british-place-names/53636/10 "2001-02-08T17:24:05Z")
Sorry Pjen, I had thought that it was blindingly obvious that I was kidding…now I know better 😉 ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2001, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adjectival-forms-of-british-place-names/53636/11 "2001-02-08T17:27:42Z")
Apar from being confused about cnofuse why not put those city names along with the residents names into a search engine, this is what Google gave me - [http://www.leeds.gov.uk/tourinfo/c\_of\_l/history/history.html](http://www.leeds.gov.uk/tourinfo/c_of_l/history/history.html) ---
**Author:** ![Pjen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Pjen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pjen)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2001, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adjectival-forms-of-british-place-names/53636/12 "2001-02-08T17:37:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by pulykamell \* > \*\*Where in the heck do these words come from? > > ## Place Adjective > > Liverpool Liverpudlian > Glasgow Glaswegian > Oxford Oxonian > Cambridge Canterbridgian > Manchester Mancunian > Newcastle Geordie > Not sure on the spelling of “Canterbridgian.” > Anyhow, can anyone explain the etymology of any of these? > > \*\* Oxonian comes from Oxoniensis, the Latin name for Oxford (although there never was a Roman settlement at Oxford, and so it is an affectation). Oxon is still the abbreviation for Oxfordshire, as is Salop for Shropshire for similar reasons. There is no real rhyme or reason for how these names are chosen. Some are formal, some verge on insults, all have varied over time. Some places don’t seem to have any name for residents: Plymouth Plymouthian Bristol Bristolian Birmingham Brummy Dublin Dubliner. I’ve been trying to find a simple list of these but haven’t been successful on the net or in print: any help anyone? ---
**Author:** ![Pjen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Pjen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pjen)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2001, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adjectival-forms-of-british-place-names/53636/13 "2001-02-08T17:43:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by android209 \* > \*\*Sorry Pjen, I had thought that it was blindingly obvious that I was kidding…now I know better 😉 \*\* Apologies for misreading you, but I get so used to negative imagery and negative myths building around devalued groups that I guess I kind of ‘knee-jerked’. I’m just over-sensitive and have obviously lost my sense of humor. BTW I’m not from Liverpool, so I can’t even use that as an excuse. ---
**Author:** ![TomH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/90db22/32.png) [@TomH](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TomH)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2001, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adjectival-forms-of-british-place-names/53636/14 "2001-02-08T18:09:56Z")
> [@](#): > > Just to cnofuse you even more, people from Leeds are known as Loiners I’ve heard them called other things in Sheffield. What I want to know is how do you get from “Hartlepool” to “monkey hanger”? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2001, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adjectival-forms-of-british-place-names/53636/15 "2001-02-08T18:18:28Z")
**TomH** You really do not know the story of that one ? Yeah, sure you don’t 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2001, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adjectival-forms-of-british-place-names/53636/16 "2001-02-09T01:57:19Z")
pjen- interesting about the “puddle” and “pool” connection. I’ve always had my theories that this was just some wacky British substitution, but I thought it was mere coincidence. Seems like your website gives some creedence to this idea. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2001, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adjectival-forms-of-british-place-names/53636/17 "2001-02-09T02:04:37Z")
Here are a few non-British examples: People from Halifax, Nova Scotia are Haligonians (from Latin _Haligonia_ “Halifax”.) People from Anjou, France (and Quebec) are Angevins. As for “Men of Kent”… in English, a person from Quebec is a Quebecer, and a French Quebecer is a Québécois. (It would sound strange to call Jacques Parizeau a Quebecer.) But in French, everyone in Quebec is called québécois.