Gabonese

Part of speech: adjective, noun

Definitions

1. Relating to the Central African country of Gabon or its culture, people, or language ; a native or inhabitant of Gabon, or someone of Gabonese descent
2. Describing things connected with Gabon, the nation on Africa's west coast ; an individual born in or citizen of Gabon
3. Pertaining to the republic of Gabon in Central Africa ; a person who comes from or is a national of that country

Etymology: The name "Gabon" is a country in west-central Africa, and "Gabonese" is simply that name with the English suffix "-ese" attached. The suffix has a long road into English. It descends from a Proto-Indo-European root meaning something like "belonging to" and passed through Proto-Germanic and Proto-West Germanic forms, then into Late and Vulgar Latin as "-iscus" and classical Latin as "-ensis," which meant "of a place" or "from a place," as in "Londinensis" for a person from London. From Latin, the suffix moved into Old French as "-eis," then into Middle English as "-eys," and eventually settled into the modern form "-ese." English speakers used it for nationalities and languages, such as "Chinese," "Portuguese," and "Japanese," so "Gabonese" follows an established pattern. The word itself is a regular formation, so its interest lies mostly in the suffix it borrows from a very old ancestor.