Indeed, U.S.A. is not America!
America is the name of a whole continent. United States of America means that the United States belongs to America and NOT that America belongs to the United States. So, next time you want to refer to The United States of America, you can do it as U.S. or the States or whatever you want but not as only America. Gotcha?
How should I use the term America then?
Here we will show you some wrong and correct uses of the term America:
This is how we do it in America.
This is how we do it in the States.
- America is my country and I love it.
- The United States is my country and I love it.
- America lost the Vietnam war.
- U.S.A. lost the Vietnam war.
- Here in America we love Mc Donald's.
- Here in the U.S. we love Mc Donald's.
Please, note that this page in not about demonyms (gentilics) but about the way to call a country.
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Comments (1254)
As long as the LEGAL NAME of the United States is United States of America, Americans should use AMERICANS to refer to them. Mexicans are Mexicans because that country name is Estados Unidos de Mejico. Otherwise, any country can use Mexico as part of their legal name, and call its residents Mejicanos as well.
Thank you. You nailed exactly what I was going to say. After all if the official name of Brazil was Brazil of America, or there was a Canada of America, then I can see the arrogance of using America to describe people of the U.S.A. Yet so many easily offended people seem to ignore or forget what the "A", in U.S.A means. BTW to not have United States of America on the drop down list of countries is what's really insulting.
Except It's not "Mejico" or "Mejicanos" it's Mexico and Mexicanos. X = J and is old Spanish. Mexico decided to keep this as part of her history. The only other people I've ever seen write "Mejico" or "Mejicanos" are South Americans.
Actually, there is a good reason for the misinterpretation. According to the United Nations official names of countries, the United States is the only country that uses America in the official name.
I do agree though that any country in the Americas are Americans.
Actually, when. people ask where you are from they referring to country, not continent! Giving the short answer America is not incorrect. What other country on either the North or South American continents have America as a country name. How many citizens from North or South America respond with Canada American or Brazilian American. They respond with Canadian, Columbian, Brazilian, etc. But. people from the United States of America are identified by people from outside of the United States of America as AMERICAN! yet you whine when an American from America does so.
yeet
David, since you like to research things, could you find out how the U.S. took the name America as a country knowing that it was the continent's name?
Why don’t you do it?
Oh, that’s right. Because your research “skills” are as laughable as your knowledge, intelligence, and reasoning.
That is not the most intelligent way to win an argument.
Nothing new, I already knew this but glad you know it now! You are educating yourself!
Actually, I have known this for a long time. And I was directing the comment to “those who claim” that ‘las Américas’ doesn’t exist in Spanish. If you didn’t claim such a thing, then it wasn’t directed at you. I didn’t write that I was directing the comment to Roda/Saris/Mrs. Anonymous/Mrs. Obvious/Misses the Obvious.
David, thanks for trying to educate with what you thought we didn't know. Las Americas has been used for a long time by Spanish but not to underestimate the name of the continent: America. Las Americas is to call the 3 sub-regions (Sub-continents) of the continent of America. The Real Academia Espanola is not talking about the world "Americas" as being inappropriate. It is talking about the usage of America to name the United States that it is inappropriate.
“The Real Academia Espanola is not talking about the world "Americas" as being inappropriate. It is talking about the usage of America to name the United States that it is inappropriate.”
No 5hit.
Unlike you, I don’t have terrible reading comprehension.
Roda/Saris/Mrs. Anonymous wrote: “Spain??”
Yes. Spain.
América. 1. Debe evitarse la identificación del nombre de este continente con los Estados Unidos de América (→ Estados Unidos, 4), uso abusivo que se da sobre todo en España.
http://lema.rae.es/dpd/srv/search?id=hBnnxR9MOD6YmtLAqN
“...que se da sobre todo en España.”
“...en España.”
“...España.”
You claimed to understand the difference between the usage of words (i.e., the use of ‘América’ to refer to the USA), and whether or not some claim that such usage is not recommended. It doesn’t seem that you actually understand this difference. You claimed that such usage doesn’t exist in Spain because the RAE advises against the usage. If the usage didn’t exist, there would be nothing to advise against. More significantly, it is explicitly stated that this usage exists in Spain. Please RESEARCH and THINK before posting.
Also, for those who claim that ‘las Américas’ doesn’t exist in Spanish, look at the second note of the link given above.
Knowledge is power. I am empowering you by educating you. You’re welcome.
Of course, Las Americas is a word used to call the three subregions of America as the Spanish like to call it. They also used to call "Las Europas". Nothing new there. Now, when you think that the name Americas is the name replacing the name for the continent "America" then is where this issue arises of the conflict with the USA etc. You have not gotten anything new, nor anything that it was known before, sorry!
Sorry, I wanted to say , "nor anything that was not known before"
Thanks for the info, as I was saying, Spain used Las Americas to call the 3 subregions of America, South, Central and North so there is nothing new there. and here is what you've share with us:
2. There is no reason to censor the plural Las Américas, which has a long tradition in Spanish and is a valid expressive denomination, alluding to the different areas or subcontinents (North America, Central America and South America): «The church of San Pedro Claver, the first saint of the Americas » (GaMárquez Vivir [Col. 2002]). This expressive plural is also present in the phrase make the Americas, used in Spain with the sense of 'making fortune in America' .
Subcontinents are not continents! "2.Nature
Continent
It is independent in nature.
Sub Continent
It is a sub-division of a continent.
I've never heard any Spaniards call the USA "América". The RAE states "uso abusivo", but the spanish meaning of "abusivo" has nothing to do "majority". "Abusar" is to make inadequate use of something. The only way Spaniards may hear "americano" as synonym of the USA is through US movies poorly doubbed by Puerto Ricans. I usually watch TVE and Antena 3, and have spoken with Spaniards a thousand times, and believe me: nobody in Spain calls the USA "América". Have you heard the song "América", by Spaniard singer José Luis Perales? It refers to Latin America.
That said, we are from the
I don't lend credibility nor defend any misconceptions but acknowledge that the misconception does exist. Like many popularized misinformation spread throughout the world.
https://media.giphy.com/media/1ykDxFXMTjQ1HOpb5H/giphy.gif
That said, we are from the
That said, we are from the
United States
Also known as America.
The spread of the USA being called America is a misconception that has taken root in the world and now people defend it as if was a right from its conception. Spain knows this and that is why advises that that name is being used inappropriately.
Spain knows this? The land that comprises Spain knows? All Spaniards know? Even if all Spaniards know this, there are many Spaniards who use ‘América’ to refer to the USA.
You still don’t understand that there is a difference between what the RAE recommends and how some people actually speak. “Spain” doesn't know that your preferences dictate how all Spaniards must speak. “Spain” doesn’t know this because your preferences don’t dictate anything.