autonym

An autonym is a name that a person or a group uses for themselves, or for their language, rather than a name given by outsiders. The term comes from Greek roots meaning “self” and “name.” In linguistics and ethnography, autonyms are the self-designations of a language or a people. They may be the name of the language in its own tongue or the name a community uses to identify itself.

Examples of autonyms include the names a language uses for itself, such as Deutsch for German, Français for French, and Español for Spanish. They also include the self-designations of peoples, such as Diné for the Navajo people or Sámi for the Sámi. In many cases, autonyms reflect cultural or historical self-understanding and may differ from exonyms—names used by outsiders—which can be neutral, descriptive, or pejorative depending on context.

The concept is related to, but not identical with, endonyms and ethnonyms. An endonym is the name used by locals for a place, language, or people; autonym emphasizes self-designation, while endonym focuses on local usage. An ethnonym refers to the name of a people as a group, which may be the same as their autonym or different when outsiders’ terms are used.

Autonyms can carry political and cultural significance, especially when groups seek to reclaim or standardize their self-name in education, media, and governance. They are an important consideration in respectful naming practices, linguistic documentation, and intercultural communication.