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.
Add Comment
These terms and conditions contain rules about posting comments. By submitting a comment, you are declaring that you agree with these rules:
- Although the administrator will attempt to moderate comments, it is impossible for every comment to have been moderated at any given time.
- You acknowledge that all comments express the views and opinions of the original author and not those of the administrator.
- You agree not to post any material which is knowingly false, obscene, hateful, threatening, harassing or invasive of a person's privacy.
- The administrator has the right to edit, move or remove any comment for any reason and without notice.
Failure to comply with these rules may result in being banned from submitting further comments.
These terms and conditions are subject to change at any time and without notice.
Comments (1316)
David says...
The map is notable for a new interpretation of the name "America". As far as it is known, the new continent was named "America" by Martin Waldseemuller in 1507, who applied the name only to the southern continent.
This viewpoint was common over the years. However, Mercator viewed the landmass discovered by Columbus as a single part of the world comprising both continents and, in 1538, he signed on the map, mentioned above, accordingly, 'America. The northern part' and 'America. The southern part'.
http://expositions.nlr.ru/eng/map_merkator/2.php
a year ago
“Are you kidding? When did you do this?”
“ People call the USA ‘America’ for exactly the same reason that people call the Americas ‘America’. Because words can and do acquire multiple meanings over time. ‘America’ originally referred to just South America. This is now an archaic sense of the word that is very rarely used. Later ‘America’ could also refer to all of the Americas. This is a very common sense of the word today in some languages, but rare in English. Then ‘America’ could also refer to the USA. This usage is the overwhelmingly dominant one in English today. Speakers of many other languages also frequently use ‘America’ to refer to the USA.
People call the USA ‘America’ because ‘America’ has come to mean the USA. People call the Americas ‘America’ because ‘America’ has come to mean the Americas. It is just as simple as that. It’s the exact same process in English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, etc. The word ‘America’ originally meant South America, now it has other meanings in many different languages.”
I posted this a year ago.
Hey, get a girl or learn a sport. Have a healthy life.
“Are you kidding? When did you do this?”
David says...
Who here is saying that the name didn’t originate as a name for the continent of South America? I don’t remember ever reading on this site the claim that the name ‘America’ was first used by the USA.
12 months ago
“Are you kidding? When did you do this?”
I posted this 12 months ago: “Words can and do have multiple meanings. This is the case with America. America originally referred only to South America. Now it refers to many other things, including the Americas and the USA.”
“Are you kidding? When did you do this?”
9 months ago you (in your Saris Maria guise) and I had this exchange:
Saris Maria (United States) says...
Are you stuck in history? You seem to have slept thru it. The north (or Parias) also become part of the continent of America. Can you dispute that?
David says...
Duh. Obviously the meaning of ‘America’ was changed to include Parias. Because people change the meanings of names and words all the time. The etymology of the word clearly shows this. This is what I have been writing about for years. I do not dispute this because I cannot dispute this because it is a fact. Unlike you and your moronic ilk, I do not dispute facts.
And again. And again. And...
“Are you kidding? When did you do this?”
Misses the Obvious, your memory and reading comprehension are complete garbage. You are completely out of your league, and it shows. Everyone can see it. Stop embarrassing yourself.
“Are you kidding? When did you do this?”
No, I am not kidding. I have written such things numerous times. I wrote this 9 months ago:
“Some people consider the Americas to be 2 continents, and some consider them to be one. Originally, on the Waldseemuller map, they were considered to be 2 separate continents — America and Parias. Because people often change the meanings of names over time, the meaning (that is, what the name refers to) of the name America was changed to encompass what are now called North America and South America. Some call these subcontinents. Some call them continents. Neither is incorrect. They are just different.”
https://www.usaisnotamerica.com/?cmtx_page=37
My post from 9 months ago just moved from the very bottom of page 37 to the top of page 38.
You have been completely destroyed yet again. And again. Over and over. Rinse and repeat. You lose. I win.
So far we have established that the British knew that the colonies were in the continent of America. One continent called America.
So as these colonists were born in the new continent, they were recognized as British Citizens but were also Americans from the continent of America. In those days, the British Crown had possession of lands and colonies all over the world and so those in America, they related to them as American colonies to differentiate them from the rest of the British dominions.
Duh.
Duh. Thanks, Mrs. Obvious. We established that years ago. Why are you so dim-witted and slow to catch on?
Duh. America obviously existed before the United States.
Nobody said it didn’t. It’s really easy for you to pretend you are proving a ghost wrong. Pathetic.
It’s so sad that your only way of “proving me wrong” is to repeatedly post the obvious fact that the name ‘America’ referred to a continent before it referred to the USA. NO 5HIT, SHERLOCK!!! I have never claimed otherwise, and you know it. How can this possibly be all that you’ve got?!?! You have to know how idiotic you and your “arguments” are. Stop pretending that you are making an honest, coherent, logical, and factual argument that disproves my statements. You simply aren’t. You know it. I know it. Everyone knows it. You are a pathetic and simple-minded ignoramus.
Calm down don't have a fit! So far according to the historical fact of how the nation began, you agree that the nation was born in the continent of America, right? So next step is to find out how did the U.S. took the name of the continent in which it was located and later decided to divide that same continent that, you know and now have read through these quotes I have provided, that it was ONE continent and called America. It is important because there is a point where the U.S. divides this same continent that they knew it was one, into two. See that I am not as pathetic as you say I am, for I have provided you a small fact that there was a change somewhere in history that we need to find how it was and why was it done. You keep saying I am nuts about what I write but with what we have so far people will understand why I think the way I think the U.S. took the name of America and then divided the continent to grab the name for itself.
You are exactly as pathetic as I say you are. You are doing it again. You are stating obvious facts that I have never disputed, yet you are pretending that I have argued against them. Why don’t you find a post where I state these things that you pretend I am arguing? Find a post, provide a quote from it, and provide a link to it. You cannot do this because I have never made such a post, you monumental dumbass.
Sorry had a loss in the family so I couldn't reply to your posts. I am not here to prove anyone right or wrong, but to have a decent conversation on whether America is originally the name of a continent and that the U.S. took it for themselves and then divided the continent into two. You can offer your opinion, and when possible, back it with facts or historical evidence, and I can give my opinion and when possible, offer facts or historical evidence. You have taken this as if it is a fight. It is not. So calm down please!
In this paragraph one would see that the tax levied was to other colonies in America not under the dominion of the British Crown. The Sugar Act of 1764: "VI. And it be further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That in lieu and instead of the rate and duty imposed by the said act upon molasses and syrups, there shall, from and after the said twenty ninth day of September..... be raised, levied, collected, and paid, unto his Majesty, his heirs and successors, for and upon every gallon of molasses or syrups, being the growth, product, or manufacture, of any colony or plantation in America, not under the dominion of his Majesty, his heir or successors, which shall be imported or brought into any colony or plantation in America, which now is, or hereafter may be, under the dominion of his Majesty, his heirs or successors, the sum of three pence."