# What do you call someone from Timor-Leste? Timor-Lestian? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 15, 2010, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-someone-from-timor-leste-timor-lestian/557253 "2010-10-15T16:01:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2010, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-someone-from-timor-leste-timor-lestian/557253/1 "2010-10-15T16:01:44Z")
Most government and aid documents are transitioning from ‘East Timor’ to ‘Timor-Leste’. But in reference to its peoples, I’m still seeing East Timorese. Is there a form for Timor-Leste? Or is East Timorese still appropriate. If it matters, the audience is hyper-pedantic and if something can bother them—especially where a name is concerned—it will. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2010, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-someone-from-timor-leste-timor-lestian/557253/2 "2010-10-15T18:25:36Z")
According to the [CIA World Factbook](https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/tt.html), the people of Timor-Leste are referred to as Timorese (both noun and adjective). The Timorese government’s [own website](http://www.gov.east-timor.org/AboutTimorleste/culture.htm) also refers to the people as Timorese. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2010, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-someone-from-timor-leste-timor-lestian/557253/3 "2010-10-15T18:44:45Z")
:smack: Thanks for Googling that for me! No, really, thanks – I should have gone there first, but thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2010, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-someone-from-timor-leste-timor-lestian/557253/4 "2010-10-15T18:45:30Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > The Timorese government’s [own website](http://www.gov.east-timor.org/AboutTimorleste/culture.htm) also refers to the people as Timorese. Also, sites in Portuguese seem to just give _timorense_ (Timorese). ---
**Author:** ![Blake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@Blake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blake)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2010, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-someone-from-timor-leste-timor-lestian/557253/5 "2010-10-16T02:04:59Z")
And if you really need to stipulate that they are from East Timor rather than the island of Timor then you can refer to them as East Timorese. East Timor is an odd case, in that people insist on translating a common English word in the state’s name. I can’t think of any other cases where this is done. It’s as bizarre as if people started referring to the Central African Republic as Centrafricaine Replublic, or if the French actually called the USA “United States of America”. Mystifying. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2010, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-someone-from-timor-leste-timor-lestian/557253/6 "2010-10-16T02:30:50Z")
Not that weird, there are a few of these. Côte d’Ivoire is one that comes to mind immediately - that’s the official name in English. Belarus has been unsuccessfully trying to get languages to stop calling them the local equivalent of “White Russia.” English is one of the few languages in compliance. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2010, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-someone-from-timor-leste-timor-lestian/557253/7 "2010-10-17T02:57:52Z")
> [@Blake](#): > > And if you really need to stipulate that they are from East Timor rather than the island of Timor then you can refer to them as East Timorese. Or Timorese-Leste! ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2010, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-someone-from-timor-leste-timor-lestian/557253/8 "2010-10-17T06:44:56Z")
Timorous? ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2010, 9:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-someone-from-timor-leste-timor-lestian/557253/9 "2010-10-17T09:12:12Z")
I have a feeling this is the Leste of their problems. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2010, 9:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-someone-from-timor-leste-timor-lestian/557253/10 "2010-10-17T09:39:01Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > > [@Blake](#): > > > > And if you really need to stipulate that they are from East Timor rather than the island of Timor then you can refer to them as East Timorese. > > Or Timorese-Leste! Leste-Timore **n** se, I think, to be hyper-pedantic. The whole exercise is a little odd since “Timor” means _east_ to begin with.