Bhutanese

Part of speech: adjective, noun

Definitions

1. Relating to the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan or its people ; a native or citizen of Bhutan ; the language, customs or traditions associated with Bhutan
2. Belonging to or characteristic of Bhutan, a country in South Asia ; someone born in or citizen of Bhutan ; the cultural or linguistic heritage of that nation
3. Describing things connected with Bhutan in the Eastern Himalayas ; a person who comes from Bhutan ; the tongue and traditions that mark Bhutanese life

Etymology: Bhutanese is a plain formation: the country name Bhutan with the suffix "-ese," which English took from Old French "-eis," itself descended from Latin "-ēnsis," meaning "belonging to" or "from a place." The same suffix gives us Chinese, Maltese and Japanese, so the word follows a pattern English applies to many nations and cities. The country name is the more layered part. It goes back to Tibetan "bod," the name Tibetans used for their own land and people. Sanskrit "antra," meaning "intestine," entered the picture through Prakrit forms that were combined into "bhoṭṭaṃta," meaning "end of Bhot," the border region of Tibet. Nepali then shortened this to "bhuṭān," and European travellers and writers adopted it as the name of the Himalayan kingdom.