american-israeli
UK[əˌmɛrɪkən ɪzˈreɪli]US[əˌmɛrɪkən ɪzˈreɪli]
adj
Relating to both the United States and Israel, or involving their joint participation.
Morpheme Breakdown
american
-
israeli
american
pertaining to the United States
-
hyphen
israeli
pertaining to Israel
Etymology
The compound adjective "American-Israeli" is a modern geopolitical formation, constructed by directly hyphenating two established demonyms. "American" derives from the Latinized first name of Renaissance explorer Amerigo Vespucci, whose name was applied to the continents of the New World and later specifically to the United States. "Israeli" originates from the ancient Hebrew name Yisra'el (meaning "God contends"), which was revived in the 20th century to denote a citizen or attribute of the modern State of Israel. The hyphen serves to coordinate the two national adjectives, creating a single term that denotes a bilateral relationship, joint characteristic, or dual nationality, reflecting the intertwined diplomatic, cultural, and political spheres of the two nations.
Analysis
Structure: american (pertaining to the United States) + - (hyphen) + israeli (pertaining to Israel)
- american: From the name America, itself from the Latinized name of explorer Amerigo Vespucci. Functions as a demonymic adjective.
- - (hyphen): A punctuation mark used to connect two elements to form a compound word.
- israeli: From the modern state name Israel, from the Hebrew Yisra'el. Functions as a demonymic adjective.
Examples
The american-israeli defense agreement has been a cornerstone of regional policy for decades.
She is an american-israeli journalist who reports on Middle Eastern affairs.
The summit focused on strengthening american-israeli economic ties.