Yours not the only country.

Would Germen work?

I never know whether to use Scots (army) or Scottish (army). Which is correct (if either)? Is there a better term?

Quote from: d_Guy on 13 September 2019, 08:45:11 PM
I never know whether to use Scots (army) or Scottish (army). Which is correct (if either)? Is there a better term?

Scotch . . .

Interestingly you would say the German did this or the Italian did that when talking of an individual. But you wouldn't say the English or French did that, you'd say Englishman or Frenchwoman. It's interesting that for some the singular is also the possessive and others the plural is the possessive.

Could be something to do with the sounds at the end of the word. -ish and -ench are softer than the hard -an. So the softer ending English, Danish, Spanish, French, Dutch, etc vs the harder* German, Russian, Italian, Belgian, American (and many many more)

Other soft endings tend to follow the same pattern, e.g. -ese as in Chinese, Japanese, Sudanese, Portuguese.

...10 minutes down the etymological rabbit hole later...

Seems the harder -an style endings tend to come from the Latin names into English while the softer endings tend to come from German (ish) or Italian (ese). Presumably in other languages they use different patterns for singular vs plural possession depending where they get the national names from.

In answer to d_guy my understanding is Scottish is generally the correct term for the people. Scots I've only really seen used in relation to the language/dialect and in some archaic uses. Scotch meanwhile tends to relate to inanimate objects related to Scotland. So the Scottish people speak the Scots dialect while drinking Scotch whisky.


*No dirty jokes, I know what you lot are like...

But do cults of celtic Celts support Celtic...

Or it could be, do cults of celtic Celts support the Celtics...

Scotch. A peat flavored fluid which lowers inhibitions and inspires poetry. The Scotch army summons to mind a gathering of the Methodist WCTU.

There is also the Welsh Guards and the Royal Welch Fusiliers.

Quote from: Raider4 on 13 September 2019, 08:56:49 PM
Scotch . . .

Nooooooo!  That's a drink! 

Quote from: d_Guy on 13 September 2019, 10:32:24 PM
the Royal Welch Fusiliers.

Which proves the Welsh cant even spell their own name 

Quote from: ianrs54 on 14 September 2019, 07:42:13 AM
Which proves the Welsh cant even spell their own name 

Sigh. Predictable. And tiresome. And sticking a smiley on the end does not make if funny

Can you just give it a rest please?

Quote from: John Cook on 14 September 2019, 02:25:09 AM
Nooooooo!  That's a drink! 

As I understand it, up until ~19th century it was the usual term used, but was then gradually replaced by either Scots or Scottish. So, your usage depends on what - and when - you are describing.

Dr Johnson always called them Scotch. But then, he always maintained he could move his upper jaw independently of his skull, so he may be an imperfect authority.

Quote from: Raider4 on 14 September 2019, 09:10:43 AM
As I understand it, up until ~19th century it was the usual term used, but was then gradually replaced by either Scots or Scottish. So, your usage depends on what - and when - you are describing.

I would like to scotch this right now.  When I say Scotch I mean Whisky, as opposed to Whiskey.

As a very, very general principle I'd say Scots are a people, Scottish is a language, Scotch is a drink.

I fear my final piece of that list, pertaining to Scotland, would meet with the same censure as Leman's post.

No - the term for the lowland Scots language is Scots, and its a very heavily dilected(sp) version of English. Galic seems to have been restricted to North of the Great Glen and the Isles.

The term for Lowland Scots is actually Lallans, as opposed to The Doric, spoken in the North East .... and Gobbledigook, spoken in Glasgow