Hispanian

Part of speech: adjective, noun

Definitions

1. Of or pertaining to Hispania, the ancient Roman name for the Iberian Peninsula
2. Relating to the region and peoples of Hispania, the historical territory encompassing modern Spain and Portugal
3. Concerning Hispania, the classical designation for the Iberian lands and their inhabitants

Etymology: "Hispanian" is a straightforward formation: it is the English place name "Hispania" with the suffix "-an" attached, so it means "of or relating to Hispania." Hispania is the Latin name for the Iberian Peninsula, which is now mostly Spain and Portugal, and the Romans used it for the whole region. The suffix has a longer ancestry than the word itself. It descends from a Proto-Italic form ending in "-ānos", which became Latin "-ānus", a common adjective-forming ending meaning "belonging to" or "pertaining to." Through Old French and Middle English it reached English as "-an," so the same piece appears in many words that describe people or things from a place, such as "American" or "Italian."