Colombians

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A group of individuals originating from the country of Colombia, with diverse cultures and backgrounds
2. Citizens or residents of Colombia who embody the nation's rich heritage, traditions, and social dynamics
3. People who identify with Colombian nationality, contributing to the vibrant cultural mosaic of the nation

Etymology: "Colombians" is simply the plural of "Colombian," which means a person of Colombian nationality. The plural adds only the English -s, so the history of the word lies in its base: "Colombian," formed from "Colombia" plus the suffix -an. That suffix comes down through Latin "-anus," which in turn traces to Proto-Italic "-anos," entering English in Middle English as -an through Old French, and it is the same ending found in words like "American" or "Victorian." The name it rests on, "Colombia," is a modern coinage: it was built from the surname of Christopher Columbus, whose voyages to the Americas gave the Western Hemisphere a name that a later republic adopted for the country. The plural then simply counts the people who share that identity.