Q. There are simple names to describe residents of the other boroughs: Manhattanites, Bronxites, Brooklynites, Staten Islanders. Why isn’t there a word to describe Queens residents?

A. Well, there is one, as awkward as it may sound: Queensites. Though rarely spoken, it shows up in Queens newspapers from time to time, said Claudia Gryvatz Copquin, author of a new book, “The Neighborhoods of Queens” (Yale University Press).

The lack of a common identifying word may be related to the borough’s fragmented nature, Ms. Copquin said in an e-mail message. “Residents of Queens identify more with their particular neighborhoods than with the borough itself,” she said.

For example, she said, many residents use their neighborhoods in their mailing addresses: Instead of Queens, their mail is sent to Long Island City, Jamaica, Flushing and so forth.