Mainlanders

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Individuals originating from or residing in the principal landmass of a country or continent, distinct from those living on islands or overseas territories
2. people native to the central or largest part of a nation, usually contrasted with islanders or expatriates
3. inhabitants of the core mainland region of a state or territory, often differentiated from inhabitants of surrounding islands or coastal areas

Etymology: "Mainlander" is simply "mainland" with the agent suffix "-er", meaning a person who belongs to or comes from the mainland. The suffix itself has a long pedigree: it descends from Latin "-arius", which entered English through Old French "-ier" and Middle English "-er", and reached Old English as "-ere" from Proto-Germanic roots. The base word "mainland" is the more interesting part. "Main" here means "principal" or "chief" rather than the sea, so the mainland is the chief or great land, as opposed to the islands lying off its coast. The same sense of "main" survives in "mainstream" and "mainframe."