Page 372 - Practical English Usage 3ed - Michael Swan, Oxford

nationalities, countries and regions
nationalities, countries and regions 364
Dr (= Doctor) is used as a title for medical and other doctors (but see paragrapb 2 for its use).
Professor does not mean 'teacher'; it is used only for heads of university departments and some other very senior university teachers.
Note that we do not normally combine two titles such as ProfDr or Mrs Dr.
For ways of addressing people in letters. see 146.
For ways of introducing people. see 545.1.
For full stops with abbreviated titles and initials. see 2.
364
1 introduction
In order to refer to a nation or region and its affairs it is usually necessary to know four words:
• the name of the country or region
Denmark, Japan, France, Catalonia
• the adjective
Danish, Japanese, French, Catalan
• the singular noun used for a person from the country
a Dane, a Japanese, a Frenchman/ woman, a Catalan
• the plural expression the . .. used for the population as a whole
the Danes, the Japanese, the French, the Catalans
Usually the singular noun is the same as the adjective (e.g. Greek, Mexican). The plural expression is usually the same as the adjective + -s (e.g. the Greeks, the Mexicans); words ending in -ese, and Swiss, have no -s (e.g. the Japanese; the Swiss). See paragraph 2 below for more examples.
However, there are a number of exceptions. Some of these are listed in paragraph 3.
All words of this kind (including adjectives) begin with capital letters.
American literature (NOT tuneriettn literafflre)
The name of a national language is often the same as the national adjective.
Danish is diffiCUlt to pronounce.
2 Examples
Country/region Adjective
America American (1be United States)
Do you speak Japanese?
Belgium Brazil Europe Italy Kenya Morocco Norway Palestine Russia Tyrol
Belgian Brazilian European Italian Kenyan Moroccan Norwegian Palestinian Russian Tyrolean
Person
an American
a Belgian
a Brazilian
a European an Italian
a Kenyan
a Moroccan a Norwegian a Palestinian a Russian
a Tyrolean
Population the Americans
the Belgians the Brazilians the Europeans the Italians
the Kenyans the Moroccans the Norwegians the Palestinians the Russians the Tyroleans
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