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 (1445)
Before I thought that when talking about US arrogance, they were being excessively critical, but when reading how, even though they explain that saying "America" is just a byname, they actually use it too many times to believe it, knowing that when they started doing it still in English also considered America a single continent.
They didn't even come up with something like "U.S. America" (the official abbreviation is United States) and the demonym "US Americans"! nothing!
"they didn't even think of something like U.S. America" sorry, translator error
But, there is no historical explanation on how the name America ended up being a nation when it was given to a continent. Like for example when did it become only the name of a nation? When did it stop being the name of the continent? Why did it stop being the name of the continent in which that nation is located in? Why divide the one continent America into two? And change its name? So many loopholes in this case it would be a lot of work to try to investigate it..lol
yes Fabian the name America to call a country, was misused and spread all over the world. And just because something like a name which was wrongly used, is picked up and used by others in the world, does not mean it was correct. People defending America as the name of a country have been brought up with that concept, but they have not been able to explain how it really became a nation's name when it is also the continent in which it stands. Their explanations have been, that no other nation uses it in their names, or that the continent is no longer one, is two and it doesn't use the name America, but las Americas because its two continents, that the word America has different meanings, that Spaniards didn't really used it way back then, that the word was only written on the Southern part of the new world, etc. etc.
That was a good read Fabian. It is interesting to read that we have been discussing here about how can America be of America and in America, which is something to think about. Also that the United States wanted to have more land in the continent but that they stopped in Mexico. Otherwise, if they would had taken all of Mexico they would had gone down all the way to Panama and all those countries would had been part of the United States now. Actually, some of the history of countries in Central America have the gringos trying to rule their nations. One particular individual, william walker, who was for a bit the president of some of the countries in Central America, was an emissary from the USA. Did you know that?
Brilliant!!!
https://nomadcapitalist.com/2013/10/14/why-is-the-united-states-called-america/
A very poorly written piece.
How would you translate "americano" into English?
Americas-ian ;D
Wow, some of those things I have been saying here too! Thanks for sharing
The new world discovered by foreigners who invaded it, renamed it.
Eastern Hemisphere people colonized the new world.
They named it America.
They continued to still be America.
United States Of America
Yes, the new world, named America! And it continues to be America...one new world one new continent!
"Let's be free!!! The rest doesn't matter at all!!!"
José de San Martín "the liberator of America", before the battle of Chacabuco, Chile. After having crossed the Andes mountain range.
In America and for Americans, you!, would forever be an Argentinian.
that's why I am American.
In the United States of America and for US Americans
You are NOT AMERICAN for talking like that.
Canada citizens to Chile citizens ARE ALL AMERICAN CITIZENS, not only U.S. citizens, period.
Also from Wikipedia: “ The meaning of the word American in the English language varies according to the historical, geographical, and political context in which it is used. American is derived from America, a term originally denoting all of the New World (also called the Americas). In some expressions, it retains this Pan-American sense, but its usage has evolved over time and, for various historical reasons, the word came to denote people or things specifically from the United States of America.
In modern English, American generally refers to persons or things related to the United States of America; among native English speakers this usage is almost universal, with any other use of the term requiring specification.”
Evolved? Sure thanks to the wrong usage.
It might be trying to explain how the name got taken by the USA. We know all that.
Also from Wikipedia: “America is a short-form name for the United States of America.”
Wikipedia is a united statian organization. It is headquartered is in the US.
True. Media control!
Also from Wikipedia: “The United States of America (USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or simply America...”.
The word clearly has more than one meaning. This is a fact. You cannot and will not prove otherwise. Facts don’t work that way, payasa.
Made up after realizing that they had take the name of the continent. Let me tell you that it has a great marketing strategy but that will not change its original meaning, a continent's name.
Wikipedia is a United Statian company.
Some Wiki stuff: "America is the second largest continent on Earth, after Asia. It occupies much of the western hemisphere of the planet. Wikipedia
Area : 16.43 million mi²
Population : 1,002 billion (2016)
Density : 23.6 hab./km²
Subdivisions : North America ; South America ; Central America"
MesoAmerica is Central America and not in the USA!
Genius.