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 (1430)
HyphenSt1 I can answer your question. On NPR they talked about using America as a name for USA. A historian said America really started being used for USA at the end of the 1800’s. USA was expanding overseas. They took Hawaii. They finished the Spanish empire by taking Cuba, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Guam, and a few other Spanish places. I was interested because my family is from Philippines. Because these places were not connected to USA and very few white Americans lived there USA did not originally plan to make them states. They wanted a different name to use for the expanding USA so they used America. Politicians and newspapers began using it a lot so the Americans did too. The historian said that it was rare for Americans to use America for USA before then. The English used America for USA a lot but not Americans. It is interesting history. I can not remember the name of the historian or the book he wrote. Sorry but I hope this information helps you.
Thank you Jenni for your input. It could have been that way you wrote how the U.S. took the name of the continent for itself. I doesn't have any sense to do it just for those reasons though. However the U.S. did it is confusing but that it did take the name of the continent it did and without asking the rest of the American countries in the continent.
I am American and I do not call the US like that.
a typical United Statian in your story.
The US invents history and tries to justify what is known as wrong. Don't care!
Keep on with movies, Wikipedia, literature and translations... all biased.
Do you think the historian is lying? If you do do you have proof? Do you really believe that a professional historian would lie on the radio and risk his reputation? There has to be something or some things that caused Americans to call their country as America. Right??? Will you accept any explanation? Or because you don’t like it you will just say that it is all lies? That is a very weird way to see things.
You're talking about me. I am American.
"A historian said" That's classic fable. You can also make a movie about it. Many historians can tell you a lot about going to the Moon. Most will coincide on many aspects. United Statians invent what they want.
Whatever they invent. There is no justification to be offensive with other countries.
No historians ever tell the truth? There has to be an answer to when and why Americans started calling their country America. Right??? Anyways it was common for the English to call USA America before the Americans did.
Americans and many other peoples call USA America so there has to be a history of this. You obviously think its wrong to call USA America so then there is a history of this wrong practice as you see it. Calling USA America exists so it has to have a history even if you thinks its wrong to call it like that and even if you don’t like it. You are not thinking right.
Agree with you Jenni. I have been asking if anyone knows when did the U.S. began calling itself "America" and why? At least you gave us an explanation of some sort. In my opinion, it is a little bogus though, but keep them coming we need to solve this puzzle!
Mrs. A, He gave many good examples. He’s an academic historian who works at a major university. He knows much more about it than all of us together. He said that a USA president around that time started calling the USA America all the time in speeches. In a short time he did this in big presidential speeches more than all the other presidents before him ever had done. He knows this because the speeches are part of the historical record and he has read them. Why don’t you believe it? Do you know more about it than an expert historian who has passed his life researching these things?
Jeni, I believe it. I still remember speeches where the president would say United States instead of America. But i mostly remember when all NEWS MEDIA used to say only United States or U.S. when talking about the this nation. But as you say, it kind of started to change and little by little the word "America" got stuck. Leaders of this nation know that by repeating a word for many many times it will be stuck with people's minds and then it will be accepted as truth. I thought that this is what the USA did so that the whole world begins calling the U.S. and accepted only as "America". In today's society the same tactic of repeating something is really catching up with people and they now believe things that might not be all true but they believe it due to the repetition of the concept or word by news or politicians or even professors many many times over and over.
This repetition to make people believe it is true...might be called conditioning
These days semantics and syntax seem as important as ever, and one thing i don't hear talked about enough is: When did "America" become synonymous with "The United States"..?
I already know from that simple question, people will think i'm splitting hairs, BUT i do think that words are the tools with which we think, and when we equate The United States with AMERICA, it seems to imply an innate priority and importance over Canada for instance.. Oh and damn, Mexico also kinda *sorta* counts, i suppose..
Thank you
Hey Matthew and David, it has to be an exciting time for you. Who do you think will be elected new United Statian president?
Trump of course
Finally we agree on something.
América (one single continent) = the Americas (South America continent and North America continent together)
americano = Pan American
The United States of America = "United States" (Estados Unidos), "US", "The States" and "America"
estadounidense = American
estadounidense = United Statian
América = America
The Americas and Las Américas don´t exist
Americano = American
Estadounidense = Usonian or United Statian
United States is not America
South, Central and North are regions or subcontinents
yes, Usonian, amazing term
David, still has not answered how is it that he accepts that America is the name given to the continent, and how is it that the United States took the name of America and from where? He says he is the most intelligent individual here so he should know the answer and perhaps could enlightened us a bit.
STFU. Now you’re back to Mrs. Anonymous instead of your long list of idiotic other pseudonyms? But we know that you will continue with all the pseudonyms so that you can pretend that a small group of retards agrees with you. STFU.
P.S. STFU
But this time answer and don´t insult, just give the straight answer of why is not a continent. And don´t tell us to STFU papa United States would be angry because you know they think they are the country of "liberty". So I have right to speak not to shut up.
People who do stuff think others do what they do. I don't have the time to be doing what you do.
STFU
You are intellectually inferior.
Please can you predict me the weather and the future, can you make me a car from thin air please, can you... ummm...? ...please?
Yet more proof of your intellectual inferiority. STFU.
Yep, you are a troll.
I win this game show game.
Hi David, that looks like more blablabla.
What evidence you are not able to find? You have months ignoring or pushing comments to next pages. Something else from your country you need us to explain you? I have seen info about:
a. the usage of United Statian for more than a century and awareness in the United States
b. the UK calling "America" to refer to the continent when colonizing Northern America and before you invented the current country name
c. the international usage of America when regional organizations were founded
d. the US apathy when disrespecting other countries
e. the US efforts to change the mind of people around the world with their media
f. the US struggle to do so when local names already contradict such intend (e.g. USD, USAF, USSS, USCG, USN)
g. the US military efforts to influence with bullying worldwide
Excuses are normal from people like you. Why not resolving your local issues first and then try to learn international matters? CN
Most of your examples are factually accurate. I have NEVER stated that they are not factually accurate, yet you pretend that I have. Where are the direct quotes of me saying that most of your examples are factually inaccurate? I will give you a hint: there are no such direct quotes because I have never stated such a thing. So STFU, payaso.
I will put it again. What evidence you want us to recall, the majority of your comments are not about giving arguments but instead is your insults and being narcissistic about how ascended intellectually and wise you are.
Very good David. Then you should be a proud member of "USAisNotAmerica.com" :)
Welcome!
and thanks Anonymous for such great input
STFU
You pretending that I have said certain things is not the same thing as me actually saying those things.
If I actually said things that are wrong, you would be able to provide a quote AND the proof that what I said is wrong. You have never done this? Why not?
STFU.
Anonymous will NOT STFU. 😆
I hope this David guy is just a troll