Pennsylvanian
Definition
- Noun:
- A native or resident of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania: A person who was born in or lives in Pennsylvania.
- A geologic period or system: The later part of the Carboniferous period, from approximately 323 to 298 million years ago, characterized by warm climates and extensive swampy forests that formed much of the world's coal deposits.
Usage Examples
- Noun (Person):
- She is a proud Pennsylvanian who has lived in Pittsburgh her whole life.
- The conference was attended by several Pennsylvanians from Philadelphia.
- Noun (Geologic Period):
- Coal deposits from the Pennsylvanian are economically very important.
- This fossil is dated to the middle Pennsylvanian.
Advanced Usage
- As an adjective (capitalized): While the primary request is for the noun, in advanced academic contexts, "Pennsylvanian" can function as an adjective relating to the state or the geologic period.
- The Pennsylvanian coalfields. (Referring to the geologic period)
- Pennsylvanian politics. (Referring to the state)
Variants and Related Words
- Pennsylvania: The proper noun for the U.S. state.
- Pennsylvanian Age/Epoch/Period/System: Full terms used in geology to specify the time interval.
- Upper Carboniferous: A synonym for the Pennsylvanian in geologic time scales used outside North America.
Synonyms
- For a resident: Keystone Stater (informal, from Pennsylvania's nickname "The Keystone State").
- For the geologic period: Late Carboniferous (in some international classifications), Upper Carboniferous.
Notes on Meaning
The word has two distinct and unrelated meanings: 1. The demonym for a person from Pennsylvania. This is the most common usage in everyday language. 2. A specialized term in geology and paleontology for a specific subdivision of geologic time. This usage is always capitalized.
Noun
-
a native or resident of Pennsylvania
-
from 310 million to 280 million years ago; warm climate; swampy land
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