These antro-cats from "MLP: the movie".

The only thing which stops me from making a proper preview for my AU project is this. Because I can't bear to use canonical name for such a serious thing: it's just ridiculous to call a species after their country and not vice versa. Like... ponies being equestrians despite Equestria didn't have always existed and also other pony countries seem to be somewhere beyond the map. I'm so desperate that I'm now looking for help here, in a language I don't really know.

Any suggestions?

P. S. MLP wiki doesn't use any name for the species except the aforementioned "antropomorphic cat" description, but here is a tip: Abyssinia is a former name Ephyopia and I think now that is has been named so because Capper looks like abyssinian cat - a breed which is obviously named after the region.

Tigrans?

Ethiopians? XD

Get it? Gausf Abyssinia and Ethiopia are the same country? I am funny.

Nah lol, maybe Demi-sphinx?

Kats.

7142356

Hmm, I heard about tigrans. Where are they from?

7142333
How about Bakeneko? Literally translates as "changed cat."

The only time I mentioned them in a story, Starlight Glimmer called them "whatever the hell Capper is."

7142333 Faelidians. It's a play on felidae.

7142384
>neko
Too japanese, imo. Because they aren't this even slightly. (not truly egyptian, but anyway more like something middle-Eastern)

7142386
Oh wow, Latin? Latin fits everywhere except for really special things. (Like Japan =) Good, I'll think about it.

7142399 Ye :D

I've seen a story that calls similar creatures Cait Siths.

7142333
Every place and people has multiple names depending on multiple factors. A single person might be described as a Homo Sapien, a Human, a German, but choose to describe themselves as a Bavarian from Deutschland. None of those terms are wrong, exactly, but they have different uses in different places.
"Abyssinian" might be the highbrow outsider name used to avoid calling them "cats", which might considered derogatory. But they might well call themselves cat among themselves and only take offense if an outsider makes something of it. "Abyssinian", to them, might literally mean "someone from Abyssinian" and not be accurate if the cat in question isn't from there. There could well be different clans or ethnic groups pretty much indistinguishable to outsiders but important to the insiders for identification and no agreed-upon name for the species as a whole.
There's really no reason to try to come up with a right answer; each character is going to have a different worldview and the words they choose to use tells us something both about the world and their view of it.

7142399

Oh wow, Latin? Latin fits everywhere except for really special things. (Like Japan =) Good, I'll think about it.

I like to imagine that there's a group of Ponies who refuse to use Latinized terms and prefer to call Equestrian "Pony Land".

I'll be honest, I thought their name was Abyssinians (I mean, that's what the official wiki said). Please correct me if I'm mistaken.

Most of the time I simply use 'cats', it's more practical and less wordy. Abyssinian is just the big word, and depending on the story not all characters may actually know that's the proper name for the species.

I don't think using the term 'cat' would lead to too much confusion. Of all the species that have been featured, only sphinxes and griffons (half of them) have significant feline traits, and even then they're more about big cats than regular cats. The 'biggest cat' I ever used to make an Abyssinian character was a Savannah cat.

In short:
Adding the stuff I keep in my notes:

1. Abyssinian is the PC term for the species, though that's up for debate since not all of them are from Abyssinia
2. Felinids is the scientifically accepted term
3. Cats is just the convenient, 'normal-people' word

Of course those would be the English/Equestrian names for the species.

7142366
Let's not referance SWAT KATS: THE RADICAL SQUADRON.

7142711
I swear to Celestia, I legit have no idea what you’re talking about. Is that a SW parade?

I was thinking Bastia with Bastian being the singular. Referencing Bast the eytigyptian goddes of cats.

7142368
Age of Wonders. It’s not going to leave you even here. :D

7142368
The Age of Wonders games.

7143322
NOOOOOOOO!!!

7142530
Oh, I got it. So abyssinians is name for a nation ( = German or Bavarian), while I need name for the species ( = human). Something more objective, not afficted by in-universe factors.

7143432
Names are always subjective. I'd just call them cats myself.

I decided to stop on faelidians. Thanks everyone. Now I'll start to write proper presentation post with brief description of all factions.

So what's the name for males, females and juveniles then? Toms, queens and kittens?

On another thought:

Does anyone give Abyssinians any kind of magical attribute when you write them?
I know when I do I make them empaths and prescients (seems fitting for a race of traders, diplomats and conmen), just wondering if I'm the only one.

/7143705
What is toms and queens? Some specialized terminology for real cats? If so, it makes the reader look down on them as unintelligent animals, imho.

Well, I gave them sort of religious magic as they (surprise!) worship the sun as a source of clarity in the world. Some obscurous practices using borrowed powers are also presented, but nothing natural. Because species do not have to be equal and/or one does not have to be magically gifted to be good trader, diplomat or conman (which my faelidians-abyssinians still are).

Khajiits?

7146136
Nope. Too specific name with origin being very famous, which would instandly lead to accusations of plagiarism.

7142333

How about Echegarria; would that work...?

Well actually in my universe (called Lyokoverse, though that's not coming from my nickname it just has kinda the same etymology) I call them "felinians". Etymology is pretty simple the word: feline.
To be honest, in Lyokoverse there's no "Abisynia", and the name Abyssinians seem... just to not-cat-like for me. The homeland is called "Felinia" (well... in the original, Polish version of Lyokoverse... for English version it could be... I don't know, Felan? As name "Felinia" comes from "Japonia", which means Japan - and just quick clarification here: felinians aren't actually based on Japan, that was just the country name which I thought will work well with the race name. Also, I did once saw some board game called Felinia...) - but here this name comes from the race, not vice versa.

And tigrans actually seem good but rather for some more tiger-like race...
And...
7150638
What's the etymology of Echegarria. It seems interesting but I would probably never guess it's name for cat-like race...

7430780

To be honest, it's been a long time since someone like you had responded: at that point, I've tried to remember why I've suggested it but only as a name for their hypothetical homeland; the species thing has crossed my mind lately now I think about it...