Then who are the Ugly Americans all the Europeans refer to??? That must mean all the Americas according to your statement and most everybody else's. Look the UK is composed with different countries, but when anyone says the UK on the News most all associate that with Great Britain, that are also Europeans. When most people of the world use the term Americans they are referring to the USA. It may be technically wrong, buts that's how it is. What do you call people who live in Brazil, Colombia, Panama, Ecuador, Etc. So who are we? Unitedtarains....Statesmen??? No we are Americans!

You are right that the Waldseemüller map clearly shows that ‘America’ only applied to South America and that ‘Parias’ applied to North America. However, words can and do develop different meanings over time. This clearly happened with ‘America’. So it is not incorrect to refer to all of the Americas as ‘America’. It is not incorrect to refer to the USA as ‘America’. We don’t have to only use the original meaning of a word.

David words don't develop new meanings, humans change the meaning of words, or adapt them to other things. America is originally the name of a continent. In this continent, America, many nations were founded. One nation, the United States, having a peculiar history of how it was founded and for what, added the name of the continent in which it was located in. Some would argue that it was probably to show the English Crown how different they wanted to be from them once the U.S. gained its independence so they made sure the name would remind Europeans that the U.S. was no longer under the influence of Europe. They then embrace the continent in which they were in, America. It takes humans to change a word, and the people of the U.S. began using it to call themselves other than English or European, so they began calling themselves "Americans".

The continent in which all other American countries are located in. Maybe the U.S. is the only one copying the name of the continent and that is the reason why they call themselves America. The rest of the countries in America, did not take or copy the name of the continent that they are in.

He said country, not continent. Your reading comprehension is terrible.

David, my intention was not to answer it as you would, but to answer it as I wanted to. I answered it to show that it doesn't matter how many countries have the name "America" in their names, that would not change that the continent, in which those countries are located in, is the bearer of that name! If only the U.S. is using the name America as a country, and others are not, maybe it should tell us a very important fact...that it is incorrect! The other countries have respected the name of the continent by not using America as their name and have kept it the way it was intended to be originally as the name of the continent.

You are quite wrong. America is a Continent not a Country.

Wrong....NORTH America is a Continent! Canadians, Mexicans, and Americans are all North Americans, but as in our name, USA, we are Americans! We Americans don't give a Sh*t what you or the Europeans think, so FO with all this PC *****!

Where would you categorize Panamenians? Costa Ricans? Hondurans?

Are you saying that South Americans are not American? Were your parents cousins?

You are actually WRONG “JW”. NORTH America is a Continent? Yes!

But saying “Canadians, Mexicans, and Americans are all North Americans” is FALSE information being as “NORTH America” refers to “the NORTH division of America” and “North AMERICANS” are “AMERICANS of America’s North division” which is totally NOT USA’s North division!

Therefore, saying “Americans are all North Americans (and only North Americans)” makes no sense and does not exist. Just because America is in your country’s name, USA, all of you are NOT Americans whenever identifying yourselves by nationality!

All of you United Statesians DO HAVE TO give a Sh*t to what we or the Europeans know are facts, so we all will NOT FO with all of this NON-PC *****!

America has multiple meanings in many languages. We all know that many people call the USA ‘America’, so this is obviously one of its meanings.

WRONG! Mexico's name is The United Mexican States.

So what? What do you think this proves?

The US is not in the center of America.

Apparently this is shocking to you, but words aren’t always going to mean what you want them to mean, and they don’t stop meaning what they mean just because you don’t like them. Grow up, gain at least a little bit of knowledge and perspective, and stop your whining.

Well, in your country, "FOOTball" is played with the "HANDS".

Your brilliance knows no limits.

If your story is true, why don’t you do some research and post facts and links to sources that are written by professionals who know about language and history? Why do you only post your idiotic factoids, obvious facts, and idiotic opinions? You don’t know more about these things than Waldseemüller, Ringmann, Schöner, historians, linguists, lexicographers, etc. Where are the facts that conclusively prove what you write? Let’s start with a fundamental one: what does ‘America’ refer to on the 1507 Waldseemüller map?

" but words aren’t always going to mean what you want them to mean, and they don’t stop meaning what they mean just because you don’t like them" Isn't that what you are doing David? You want America to mean a country when you know well that it is not what it really means and you seem to not like America to have its original meaning; a continent.

Hi German! I agree with your comment, except your last sentence.

ALL MEXICANS ARE LATINOS, because THEY SPEAK A LATIN LANGUAGE, and that is SPANISH!

If it’s impossible, then how does it exist? You all seriously need to learn the difference between reality and your fantasy world.

Another meaning of the name "America" is known because someone used it to mean something else. Words don't change themselves they are innate.

You have absolutely no idea how language works and how words acquire their meanings. You seriously need to read a lot about linguistics, lexicography, history, and many other things.

I also recommend two very interesting podcasts: the History of English Podcast and Lexicon Valley. I have listened to more than a hundred hours of these podcasts over the years. If you listen, you will very quickly learn that many of your ideas about the way things are, and the way things “should” be, are completely wrong. Language does not work the way you think it does. You must read, listen, think, and learn in order to overcome your monumental ignorance. It is the only way that you can possibly stop embarrassing yourself with your ignorant, imaginary, and nonsensical comments.

All you are doing is trying to justify the "switch-a-roo" that the U.S. and other English Speaking countries have done with the word "America".

Muchas gracias David. Esta informacion esta muy buena. En ella hay muchas verdades y las cuales ya las hemos discutido en este forum. America es un continente y los Estados Unidos esta en ese continente y por eso le pusieron los Estados Unidos de America. Ahora, de que los ciudadanos de los Estados Unidos hayan tomado ese nombre para llamarse a ellos mismos, eso es otro cuento.