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Nova Scotian

Nova Scotian

4.4
A person from Nova Scotia in eastern Canada
  • noun
  • /ˈnoʊvə skoʊʃən/
translation icon : novascotense
  • The festival celebrates the traditions of Nova Scotians from all backgrounds.

I mean, I could see maybe Cubans, I could see Puerto Ricans, maybe Nova Scotians or somebody would have to swim here.

Examples

  • A trip through the Nova Scotian coastline, with its lighthouses, harbors, and fishing villages.

    Academic text (1997)
  • I mean, I could see maybe Cubans, I could see Puerto Ricans, maybe Nova Scotians or somebody would have to swim here.

  • Fewer young Nova Scotians are smoking.

    Academic text (2018)
  • And Speaking of your father, he's Black Nova Scotian, correct?

  • The religious revival led by Henry Alline occupied the minds of Nova Scotians while their brothers and sisters in New England organized for political action.

    Academic text (1998)
  • Many Nova Scotians take pride in their rich cultural heritage and beautiful landscapes.

  • As a Nova Scotian, she enjoys the local seafood and the annual Celtic Colours festival.

Synonyms

North American
vsNova Scotian
20 2.4

A person from North America, for example Canada, the United States, or Mexico

is narrower, naming people from one eastern Canadian province
bluenose
vsNova Scotian
  • Canadian
9.7

A person from Nova Scotia in eastern Canada

is the regular demonym used for people from that province

Surface Forms

Nova Scotian singular
Nova Scotians plural

Morphology

Nova + Scotian

The phrase is a demonym built from the place name Nova Scotia plus the productive English suffix -an, so a learner who recognises the toponym and the demonym pattern can infer ‘a native of Nova Scotia.’ However, the provided constituents ('Nova' and 'Scotian') are not independent, transparent lexical items and understanding requires world knowledge of the place or morphological parsing, so the relation is only partially predictable to a B1 learner.

Etymology

Nova Scotian comes from the place name Nova Scotia, which in Latin means 'New Scotland' because Scottish settlers named the area. So a Nova Scotian is a person who comes from that 'New Scotland'.