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)
‘America’ is a PROPER NOUN.
A PROPER NOUN is a NOUN.
A NOUN is “a word (other than a pronoun) used to identify any of a class of people, places, or things (common noun), or to name a particular one of these (proper noun).” https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/noun
A NOUN is a WORD.
From ThoughtCo.com:
Etymological fallacy is the faulty argument that the "true" or "proper" meaning of a word is its oldest or original meaning.
Because the meanings of words change over time, a word's contemporary definition can't be established from its origin (or etymology). The best indicator of a word's meaning is its current use, not its derivation.
https://www.thoughtco.com/etymological-fallacy-words-1690613
“...the meanings of WORDS change over time...”
AMERICA is a PROPER NOUN, which is a NOUN, which is a WORD whose MEANING CHANGES over time.
America is a noun used for the first time in 1507. It was written for the forst time over Brazil, which is located in South America. Sorry, but your country is not America.
Sorry, not your choice. It's our choice.
The Olympic flag doesn’t prove that it’s “incorrect” to call the USA ‘America’. The Olympic flag merely demonstrates that some people see the Americas as one continent. This view isn’t any more “correct” than seeing the Americas as two continents.
In English, the main meaning of ‘America’ is the United States of America, and the main meaning of ‘American’ is a citizen of the USA. Many other languages also use these meanings. You might not like it, but that doesn’t mean that any language rules are being violated. Words can and do have different meanings. New meanings can and do arise over time. This is how languages work. The facts of the meanings and usage of words are not invalidated simply because someone doesn’t like them.
"America" means "las tierras de Américo" (the lands of Americo). Américo Vespucio (italian name: Amerigo Vespucci) was the explorer who realized that Christopher Columbus didn't land in India, but in a new continent. Americo never set foot on the current territory of the United States. Americo explored SOUTH America instead. The first time the name "America" appeared on a map, it was written over Brazil. So, what do the United States have to do with Americo or America?
Perhaps not a darn thing. What of it? Our country, we decide. You notice we don't demonize Germany despite the travesty of the Second World War. We let you proudly call yourselves Germans and celebrate your heritage without bashing you or telling you how to self-identify. And set theory? Really? You have to get into mathematical logic to make your point? This isn't a conversation about math logic. This is about a country that chose its own name and its demonym. If you don't want to call us Americans, then don't. But we'll do as we please.
That was just dumb. Of course they call themselves Germans. They are from Germany! You just made the point you are trying to argue against.
Im addition, just because most people in this country don't know its name doesn't mean the name of the country changes. If half the country decided to call a ball a box that doesn't make it a box. Box already exists as something else, just like America already existed as something else. It's just a bunch of people calling it the wrong thing.
And once again we did choose a name in 1776.“That in all continental commissions, and other instruments, where, heretofore, the words ‘United Colonies’ have been used, the stile be altered for the future to the “United States.” The fact that you and most of the country get it wrong doesn't change the actual name of our country.
So true as this site explains it!
I'm from the united states ad I agree with you,Roberto.