I remember when I was studying the EGB (I do not know exactly the equivalence with the current educational system) that a common question, it seems to me that in the subject of Language, were the names of the Spanish populations. Some of them had little to do with the name of the town, you learned them by heart and one less problem. Over time you wonder why that denomination, and the explanation is logical:the demonym has its origin in the name of the population when it was founded. Here is a list of Latin peoples that gave me a hard time at the time.
ROMAN NAME | CURRENT NAME | GENTILICIO |
ASTURICA AUGUSTA | ASTORGA | ASTURICENSES |
BILBILIS | CALATAYUD | BILBILITANS |
CALAGURRIS | CALAHORRA | CALAGURRITANS |
EMERITA AUGUSTA | MERIDA | EMERITENSES |
GADES | CADIZ | GADITANS |
GERUNDA | GERONA | GERUNDENSANS |
HISPALIS | SEVILLE | HISPALENSES |
ILERDA | LERIDA | ILERDENSE |
ILICI | ELCHE | ILICITANOS |
LUCUS AUGUSTI | LUGO | LUCENSES |
MALACA | MALAGA | MALACITANS |
ONUBA | HUELVA | ONUBENSES |
TARRACO | TARRAGONA | TARRACONENSE |