Guatemalan

Part of speech: adjective, noun

Definitions

1. Of or relating to Guatemala, the Central American country, or to its inhabitants and culture
2. Describing something that comes from, belongs to, or is associated with the nation of Guatemala in Central America
3. Pertaining to the people, language, customs or places of Guatemala, a republic in the northern part of Central America

Etymology: Guatemalan is about as transparent as demonyms get: it is simply "Guatemala" with the suffix "-an" attached. The place name itself comes from a Nahuatl-influenced form, and the country's name has been used in English for a long time, so the adjective and noun followed naturally from it. The suffix is the more interesting part. The "-an" ending traces back through Latin "-anus" and Old French "-ain" into Middle English, where it was used to form adjectives and nouns meaning "belonging to" or "associated with" a place or person. English kept this ending productive, so it now shows up in hundreds of demonyms like American, Canadian and Parisian-style forms, each built the same way. The same suffix therefore sits behind this word and countless others, and "Guatemalan" illustrates how English has long attached this one ending to place names to name their people.