Glaswegians

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Natives or residents of the city of Glasgow in Scotland, known for their distinctive accent and humour
2. People who were born in or live in Glasgow, the largest city in Scotland, on the banks of the River Clyde
3. Inhabitants of the Scottish city of Glasgow, a community with its own strong local culture and dialect

Etymology: Walter Scott is usually credited with coining "Glaswegian" in his novel Rob Roy, published in 1817. The word was a deliberate piece of invention rather than a folk usage that he simply recorded. Scott modelled it on existing demonyms: "Galwegian", for an inhabitant of Galway, which was itself built on "Norwegian", for an inhabitant of Norway. Glasgow plus the same "-ian" ending gave him a new name for the city's people. The word has not always been welcomed. In 1923 the Glasgow Herald printed a correspondent who found it "both ugly and absurd" and proposed "Glasgovians" instead, appealing to etymology and common sense. The newspaper's objection did not stop the older coinage, which has endured.