autolinguonym

/ˌɔː.təʊˈlɪŋ.ɡwə.nɪm/

Etymology

From auto- + linguonym.

Why this word is great

AUTOLINGUONYM — [Noun] A language name of endonymic (native) origin, created and used by native speakers as a designation for their language. From auto- ("self") + linguonym ("language name"). Unlike "endonym" (which blankets all self-assigned names) or "exolinguonym" (which denotes an outsider's label), "autolinguonym" is the intimate act of linguistic self-naming. It is Deutsch in the mouth of a Berliner, Nihongo in the script of a Tokyo shopfront, or Euskara carved into Basque stone—a word that carries not just meaning, but the weight of a people speaking itself into being.

noun

  1. A language name of endonymic (native) origin, created and used by native speakers as designations for their language.“"Gaelg" is the autolinguonym of Manx.”