As the inhabitants of Penza call: for connoisseurs of the Russian language

In linguistics there is a special term "ethnonym", which denotes the names of people living in a certain locality. The question of how to call the inhabitants of these or those cities is often problematic for many native speakers of the Russian language. Even in the reference books on grammar, you can find different variants of pronunciation and writing, which causes some confusion.

Penza confusion

The victim of this phenomenon is the population of many Russian cities. In fact, as the inhabitants of Penza call it? A similar problem was discussed by many linguists, discussing what version is considered grammatically correct, regardless of the number of its carriers. It turns out that in order to find out the names of Penza residents, one should turn to special dictionaries, which are regularly updated. Academic data obtained and tested by linguistic scientists formulate the main objective rules that regulate the use of "ethno-chronology."

How all the same it is correct?

The "Dictionary of the inhabitants of Russia" also explains two cases of how to correctly call the inhabitants of Penza. The allowance allows you to call a resident or a resident of the city a Penza or Penza, but also a Penza and a Penza, respectively. However, the dictionary does not focus on any particular use, allowing both to be used in the speech. In turn, some experts insist that the variation of "Penza" is more literary and stylistically restrained, that's why those who live in Penza should be called that way.

It should be noted that regardless of the name of the residents of Penza, addressing women leads to more problems and doubts than to men. Men's faces are called Penza and Penza, while ladies become "penzens" often, they are also called residents of Penza.

The voice of the people

In reality, with the concept of what the residents of Penza call, there are some differences and contradictions. For example, the name "penzzyka" originated in the language as far back as the seventeenth century. Despite the vocabulary norms, many residents of Penza insist on the variant "Penza", as the second way seems to them somewhat slang, offensive and prostrate. At the same time, there is another point of view according to which the word "Penza" (included in the last third of the 20th century) seems too official, pathetic and gives "advice." Apparently, native speakers will not be able to come to a consensus, and corrections to dictionary entries will not be made.

What will happen to the Penza / Penza in the future?

The Russian language is a unique and constantly changing system. Often speech norms are regulated not by rules and restrictions established by linguists, but by everyday practice of using certain constructions. That is why it is extremely difficult to influence the situation, legislatively, having approved a certain form relating to the inhabitant (inhabitant) of Penza.

One way or another, popularizing a literate appeal to the residents of the city is necessary in order to prevent semantic divisions. However, those for whom Penza is a small homeland experience fewer difficulties than, for example, the inhabitants of Vladivostok, Torzhok or Krivoy Rog. It remains to be hoped that in the near future the speakers of the Russian language will stop asking questions about what the residents of Penza call.