4 ms·
> What did you think 'citizen' means? A member of a state/nation. For example, I am an american citizen, not a new york citizen. Citizen has historical etymolo
by eighthnate 9y ago
> What did you think 'citizen' means?
A member of a state/nation. For example, I am an american citizen, not a new york citizen. Citizen has historical etymological roots to ancient greece and their city-state but the word has changed in meaning in modern times.
> Like many people I would guess, I know what a 'citizen' is
Apparently you don't if you think someone is a citizen of detroit. At least in the US, we are citizens of the nation, not a city. I don't need to get visa or permission to move from NYC to Detroit. I don't have to change citizenship if I move from NYC to Detroit.
> but I wouldn't know what a 'detroiter' was.
So you don't know what a new yorker is?
> That's a name for people from where I live.
Detroit is one of the major cities of the US. Pretty sure everyone knows what detroit is.
I'm not sure if you are being sarcastic here.
- lttlrck 9y agoMaybe denizen is more appropriate?
- chrisseaton 9y ago> Apparently you don't if you think someone is a citizen of detroit. At least in the US... The primary definition of a 'citizen' in the main US dictionary is 'an inhabitant of a city or town'. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/citizen https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/citizen
- anigbrowl 9y agoCitizen = denizen of a city Etymology rules
- emacsgifs 9y ago> I'm not sure if you are being sarcastic here As a casual observation, it actually looks like you're the one pushing at the limits of Poe's Law here TBH.
- jonathantm 9y ago> So you don't know what a new yorker is? I don't know what a "yorker" is, never mind a new one. To be fair though, I'm guess you meant one of these two; either a "New Yorker" (citizen of the state of New York), or a "New Yorker" (citizen of the city of New York, New York). Or would that second one be a "New York, New Yorker?" ------------------------------------------------------- For example: The new new New Yorker was new to New York, New York. New New York is known for it's saturation with new New Yorkers. Now I know that would be a bit nuanced, but nevertheless I knew you as a new New Yorker of "The New New York" (New York) would find it relevant. I just didn't know if you knew that yet. ------------------------------------------------------- Related...? "Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo" "... is a grammatically correct sentence in American English, often presented as an example of how homonyms and homophones can be used to create complicated linguistic constructs through lexical ambiguity and the usage of homophony and homonymy." "More easily decoded, though semantically equivalent, would be: Buffalo from Buffalo... whom other buffalo from Buffalo bully... [themselves] bully buffalo from Buffalo." (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buffalo_buffalo_Buffalo_buffalo_buffalo_buffalo_Buffalo_buffalo https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buffalo_buffalo_Buffalo_buffal...)
- mikestew 9y agoFor example, I am an american citizen, not a new york citizen You’re willing to argue with what is almost the American dictionary of record? I’d think one would have to roll a 20 against Giant Balls of Pedantry to pull that off.
- headcanon 9y agoI think you just won the HN award for pedantry, a truly high bar to achieve. Congratulations!