USA is not America

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?

America

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 (1248)

Roda(United States)says...

Look, if the U.S. did not use the name of a continent in its name, how did they come up with the word "America" and where did the U.S. get it from? In other words, if people here say that America is not the name of a continent, and that U.S. invented their own meaning of the word, where then did the U.S. get the word from? And you all know the answer. Yes, the U.S. took the name of the continent to name itself, and that is unheard of so the next move was probably to divided the continent into two, so that the name of the continent changes and thus they could keep the original name of the continent. It just a theory but it is pretty interesting don't you think?

German(Argentina)says...

Are you saying that South Americans are not Americans, and North Americans are not Americans unless they are from the United States? Were your parents cousins, or what?

juan ramirez(United States)says...

By international law, United States of America,USA is America,,United States of Colombia USC,Colombia

United States of Brazil USB,,Brazil....United States of Mexico is USM, Mexico...it happens the continent

itself is America..go find out that this countries agreed to be called by the last word of their long

name,, so America is correct for USA.

Roda(United States)says...

Prove it! Prove that internationally the lawful name of the United States is America!

Davidsays...

It’s funny that you, of all people, are asking for proof. You are such a hypocrite. You won’t admit the obvious that the 1507 Waldseemüller map clearly shows that only South America is labeled as ‘America’. Therefore, your definition of ‘America’ — that it is all of the Americas — is not the original meaning of the word. It is just one of many different meanings, in different languages, of the word. Where is your proof that when Schöner said that Parias IS NOT part of America, that he meant that it IS part of America? Answer me that, you bu11sh1t artist.

Roda(United States)says...

Chico, David, a ti te hace falta un pedazo de historia. El nombre de America fue dado a el nuevo mundo, el nuevo continente que estaba creciendo a como se hiban encontrando mas tierras. Porque el continente se expandia cada vez mas que se encontraban nuevas tierras, no quiere decir de que el nombre cambiaba de significado, al contrario se entiende de que su significado probablemente ya estaba definido en las mentes de los Europeos con la idea de que America era, hiba a ser, y seria, el cuarto continente, o cuarto mundo. El significado no cambio, solo se extendio a las nuevas tierras ayacentes. Tu teoria de que las palabras/nombres cambian de significado no sirve como ejemplo del porque los Estados Unidos se apropio del nombre del continente.

German(Argentina)says...

There is no official document where the United States is referred to as simply "America". Their United Nations desk is labelled "United States".

Davidsays...

What don’t you understand about the concept of common or colloquial names? It isn’t difficult. Official documents are very unlikely to refer to the USA as ‘America’ because that isn’t the country’s official name. Duh!

However, as is completely obvious, ‘America’ is most definitely a very commonly used colloquial or common name for the USA. How does proving the obvious fact that ‘America’ is not the USA’s official name disprove the obvious fact that ‘America’ is one of the USA’s colloquial names? I will give you a hint: it doesn’t.

Ernestsays...

Soo... It is like I have always said: The United State is a Country without a name...

Davidsays...

So you have always been wrong then. Anyone with the slightest bit of intelligence and honesty knows that the USA has a name. Actually, it has several. It has both official names and common or colloquial names. Please think before you comment. Thanks.

Mrs. Anonymous(United States)says...

Hello chiquititos! I am back after such long time. I am very happy that this website works again.

America is NOT the USA. The name first appeared on the map of Waldseemuller in 1507. The only true meaning of America comes from the map. America is South America and Parias is North America. I grew up in what is incorrectly called Central America. The real name is Southern Parias. When I was a poor child in a terrible school they taught me that both Parias and America together are called América. This is wrong! The map shows the truth! If you call América to all of the Americas you are WRONG!

JW(United States)says...

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!

Davidsays...

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.

Roda(United States)says...

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".

Pete(United States)says...

What other country has "America" as part of the name of their country?

Roda(United States)says...

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.

Davidsays...

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

Roda(United States)says...

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.

Kevin M. Moore(United States)says...

So, are you talking about the USA or the USM? Because when you say "The United States" you could be talking about The United States of America or The United States of Mexico (Mexico's actual name). So grow-up! Their Mexico and we're America. Get over it!

Ernest(United States)says...

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

JW(United States)says...

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 *****!

Roda(United States)says...

Where would you categorize Panamenians? Costa Ricans? Hondurans?

German(Argentina)says...

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

The Real and True American(Canada)says...

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 *****!

Davidsays...

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.

Roda(United States)says...

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

German(Argentina)says...

Copa AMERICA 2019: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Japan (invited team), Paraguay, Peru, Qatar (invited team), Uruguay, Venezuela.

Davidsays...

So what? What do you think this proves?

Mesays...

The US is not in the center of America.

German(Argentina)says...

The word "Latino" is another misconception originated in the United States. "Latinos" are the people whose language, cultural heritage or ethnicity are related to ancient Rome. Spaniards, Italians, French, Romanians and Portuguese are all "Latino". Most Mexicans are NOT.

Davidsays...

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.

German(Argentina)says...

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

Davidsays...

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?

Roda(United States)says...

" 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.

The Real and True American(Canada)says...

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!

German(Argentina)says...

The most popular TV show in Argentina, a local version of "Dancing with the Stars", begins with the presenter saying "¡Buenas noches América!". Trying to impose another meaning for "America" is impossible here.

Davidsays...

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

Roda(United States)says...

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

Davidsays...

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.

Roda(United States)says...

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".



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