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The US is referred to as America because it was the first independent nation in the Western Hemisphere and the most powerful empire in the world at the time the British Empire called people from the new nation Americans. That is what the rest of the world went on to call the people from the United States of America. That's all across the world for over two centuries now.
Tiger Beer is right you definitely come off ass arrogant and annoying and as someone to just avoid dealing with. I mean you only resurrected a dead thread that had it's last response back in 2013 and had really ended in 2012.
I believe this is a misunderstanding by the USA that was reaffirmed in the minds of United Statesians as time passed.
Before the USA came to exist there was already a continent called America.
Now, any American country could come tomorrow and add "America" to their nation's name, let's say "Colombia of America". If they started to call themselves "Americans" meaning nationality the same conflict would rise. The same feeling of unfair appropriation of a term that defines millions of people equally and backed up by history would rise.
Some US citizens have acknowledged this conflict and have proposed several terms to give a proper and distinct demonym to their fellow compatriots such as United Statesian, United Statster, Usanian, Usonian among others.
If the topic is open why not discuss it? If you don't want to discuss it you simply don't leave any comments.
in the case of spanish speakers in the Americas, I think it is a problem of translation from Spanish.
In Spanish, America is the name of the whole American continent (what it is called the Americas in the USA). America never refers to the country USA.
So "americano" in Spanish means that you are part of that continent, in the same way European or African.
So for spanish speakers, when someone says "American" we tend to translate it in our head to "americano", which means someone from the continent "the Americas".
Moreover, there is a word in Spanish for people from the USA, which is "estadounidense".
I'm working in S. America for a Canadian based company. I try not to say America or Americans when I refer to the USA but honestly many of them do that so in that case, I will also call us Americans. But I understand, Canada, Mexico, all S. America are Americans.
I'm working in S. America for a Canadian based company. I try not to say America or Americans when I refer to the USA but honestly many of them do that so in that case, I will also call us Americans. But I understand, Canada, Mexico, all S. America are Americans.
That's my experience as well. I was living in South America for a year. CONSTANTLY was referred to as an Americano from America. Constantly! Europeans do the same, they talk about 'America' instead of saying the U.S.
You'll never read an American newspaper (from the U.S.) that says the word 'America' in place of the U.S. But if you read a British newspaper, you'll see that mistake all the time.
That's why its super annoying when you have some internet guy try to "educate" people from the U.S. about something that is formally wrong in most OTHER countries.
Last edited by Tiger Beer; 03-08-2015 at 07:47 AM..
The use of the word "America" by the United States as a name had a political origin based on the Manifest destiny doctrine emerged during a heavy imperialistic era for the world (the second half of nineteenth century) and has remained as such till today.
The constitutional denomination of the country is clear: United States of America, where 'United States' is the real name, 'of' is an article wich means inclusion in America, the new world continent from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego.
I believe this is a misunderstanding by the USA that was reaffirmed in the minds of United Statesians as time passed.
Really? More trolling?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Haukur
Before the USA came to exist there was already a continent called America.
You realize in a lot of other parts of the World it's two continents that make up the western hemisphere right? Not to mention if we go by tectonic plates North America and South America sit on different plates and got connected to each other by volcanic activity that created Panama. In the US when I was a kid we were taught that there were seven continents. Yet when I went to college in the US they taught there was only six with Europe and Asia being combined into one continent called Eurasia. The point I'm getting at with all of this is that Continents are agreed upon by everyone in this world. Most Americans and Canadians and others who were under the influence of the British Empire or the American sphere of influence usually divide the Western Hemisphere into North America and South America.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Haukur
Now, any American country could come tomorrow and add "America" to their nation's name, let's say "Colombia of America". If they started to call themselves "Americans" meaning nationality the same conflict would rise. The same feeling of unfair appropriation of a term that defines millions of people equally and backed up by history would rise.
They could but yet they haven't and it's been around 200 years now for them so I doubt they are going to do it at this point. So I'm finding this supposed "point" your trying to make as childish.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Haukur
Some US citizens have acknowledged this conflict and have proposed several terms to give a proper and distinct demonym to their fellow compatriots such as United Statesian, United Statster, Usanian, Usonian among others.
Yet more trolling.
As far as these American citizens go how much of the population do they make up %.00001 or is it even lower than that?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Haukur
If the topic is open why not discuss it? If you don't want to discuss it you simply don't leave any comments.
I got to ask why you wouldn't just create a new topic instead of resurrecting a topic that was dead years ago.
Saying 'American' to refer to someone from the United States makes you annoying to 1% of the world's population.
Saying 'Unitedstatesian' to refer to someone from the United State makes you annoying to 99% of the world's population.
Pick your side.
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or whatever this "CD term" is?
