Even when we stated on our home page that this site is not about demonyms, because of popular demand, we are forced to clarify on this issue.
What is Demonyms?
A demonym is a name given to natives or residents of a certain or specific place. The term gentilic was used previously but is now uncommon.
A demonym is usually, but not always, derived from the name of a place.
So what about the people from the United States?
It's wide known that many people use the term American to refer to the people from the United States of America, hence overlapping the demonyms of the inhabitants of the continent of America (remember that America is one whole continent with three sub continents) with the inhabitants of the country.
So many scholars have proposed the use of many terms to solve this misuse: US American and Unitedstatesian and USian among others.
We strongly believe that US American is a fair demonym for the people of the United States of America; fair for them and fair for the continent inhabitants.
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Comments (42)
This is for English speakers who visit the web (a little game), if you had to invent a demonym for an inhabitant of The Americas, what would it be like? (obviously different from the word "American")
What do citizens of the USA call themselves? Americans. Always have, always will. The rest of the world calls us that too, for the most part.
What does the citizens of the USA have to stop calling themselves? Oh that’s right, Americans. Always will have to stop doing so. The rest of the world has to stop calling you just Americans as well. The demonym American is not a single country’s nationality or identity (not even in English).
By the way, what you said doesn’t answer Fabián’s question.
The answer to Fabian's question is that the People of the USA have been calling themselves Americans since before they were even a country, and the rest of the world has called us that as well. We aren't going to stop calling ourselves that.
As for the rest of the population of the Americas, North, South, and Central, you still get to be Americans in the broader sense, but the rest of the world in most contexts is still going to consider you Chileans, Mexicans, Argentinians, Brazilians, etc. first.
All downvotes do count as upvotes for my previous comment as well as this one!
America is NOT United States and IS the Americas or Pan America!!!
There is no such thing as multiple senses. USA can only be Americans in the same sense as it is for the rest of the population of the Americas, North, South, and Central.
There is no such thing as “you still get to be Americans in the broader sense”, and it’s too bad that “contexts”, “languages”, etc. do not get to determine the definitions of “America” and “American”.
Just as the rest of the world in most contexts is still going to consider all of us as Chileans, Mexicans, Argentinians, Brazilians, etc. first, that obviously means, the rest of the world is still going to consider all of you from USA as United Statesians first in most contexts.
Even though, I am not a resident of United States, I still remain American in the normal/regular sense just as you say about U.S. Citizens, period!
Obviously it is not easy. There is exists Pan-American and 'from the Americas'. But why do you necessarily need one? Is there a demonym to connect all Africans and all South Americans under 1 word? In English, North America and South America are - shock fact - two separate continents. North and South Americans can easily describe the peoples of those continents together.
Hey Mr. America! It doesn’t matter what continent model every country uses. North America and South America are STILL forever America even though they are 2 separated continents in the 7-continent model and English language.
Separating the Americas apart from each other changes nothing and makes no difference.
I would truly never be North American without being AMERICAN.
In fact, the demonym ‘Americans’ fits everyone North and South of the Americas no matter what in all languages!
I disagree. That’s how English works. The convention has been that people from the USA are Americans and everyone is else is from the Americas. Otherwise it is ambiguous. Some countries bundle Europe and Asia into 1 continent, but I am not Eurasian. What is the problem? If only people from the European Union were to be called ‘European’ and the British, etc had to be referred to as ‘from Europe’, I wouldn’t care.
Lol, I disagree with your statement too Mr. America. And yet, I wouldn’t care about your disagreement.
The only thing I agree on is: Some countries bundle Europe and Asia into 1 continent! What is the problem? I rather not give out the answer to the problem at this point!
I am not replying to myself just as it said when I typed this comment - but to the person named Mr. America …
I am wondering - How can you name yourself Mr. America … if you’re from the UK and not US?
I think your name is ridiculous because your country of United Kingdom (UK) is not part of the Americas. It is a part of Europe instead!
Therefore, your real name of this website is Mr. Europe instead! I personally would like to find out how many people would make fun of your ridiculous name anytime now! Hahahahaha!
If your country is a part of Europe (including United Kingdom), then you are not only European. You are Eurasian and Eurafrasian as well, being as Europe is a part of both Eurasia and Eurafrasia!
If your country is a part of Asia, then you are not only Asian. You are Eurasian and Eurafrasian as well, being as Asia is a part of both Eurasia and Eurafrasia!
If your country is a part of Africa, then you are not only African. You are Eurafrasian (aka Afro-Eurasian) as well, being as Africa is a part of Eurafrasia (aka Afro-Eurasia)!
👉 You cannot cancel out any demonym that identifies you, whether you want to be called by it or not, period!
To Mr America: You can disagree, but what you say is not how English works.
If “The convention has been that people from the USA are Americans and everyone else is from the Americas”, then the result of that convention is “all of those who are from the Americas ARE AMERICANS as well, not USA people only”. Otherwise it doesn’t make any sense for there to be 2 continents containing America in their names, while America is being 1 country and the same as United States by itself.
Now, just as I have said previously, I agree that “Some countries bundle Europe and Asia into 1 continent”! You asked: What is the problem?
The problem is: You can’t deny that Europe is the European part of Eurasia, and that Europeans + Asians combined are all Eurasians.
In fact, if you haven’t heard of this: Some people of their own countries also bundle Africa, Europe and Asia into 1 continent!
(to be continued)
(continued from previous)
Yet again, You can’t deny that Europe is the European part of Eurafrasia, and that Europeans + Africans + Asians combined are all Eurafrasians.
Of course, people from the European Union can be referred to as ‘European’ being as the EU is a part of the European continent, but if the demonym “European” is being used as the definition, meaning “only people from the European Union”, then YOU DO HAVE TO CARE that the demonym is being used as an/the incorrect definition, when of course there are more European countries that are Non-EU members. 👉 It would not be correct for the EU to steal both the name “Europe” and the demonym “European”, by choosing to invent and follow their own definition for both words.
(to be continued)
(continued from previous)
Also, there’s no such thing as “if a place had to be referred to as ‘from Europe’”. However, every country that is within Europe (including the islands closest to the continental mainland - such as the country of United Kingdom), MAKES SENSE to refer to them all as Europeans (including the British, etc.) for their continental identity since the UK, etc. is a part of Europe, and that truly explains who they are.
Therefore, regardless of the country you are from, YOU DO HAVE TO CARE about every demonym that you identify as. For example, if you are from UK, then that means YOU ARE British by country, European by continent (since UK is part of Europe), Eurasian by double-continent (since Europe is a part of Eurasia) and Eurafrasian by super-continent (since Eurasia is a part of Eurafrasia).
Lastly, if you don’t want to be called as Eurasian or whatever, then no big deal. But you can’t deny that those demonyms are truly a part of your identity as such!
Looks like a United Statian has hacked the website
Nathan once in the community of Spanish-speaking countries to which my country (Argentina) belongs, suggested an acronym (new word created from initials or parts of various words like "Unesco" and which originated the word "laser" ) for a demonym that will overcome the "American/americano" controversy, and it is about using the classic initials "US" and joining them to the word "american" and pronouncing it all together, "usamericano"*. Do not confuse with US-American you said it sounds manufactured.
So, for English it would be "Usamerican"! It seems to me that it is not so far from the current "American" and it also sounds informal to me.
* from this acronym demonym could be derived one that replaces the use of the word "America" by the people of the United States, that is, "Usamerica"!
To steal one from Frank Lloyd Wright, I think Usonian would be a great term to adopt. It both captures the essence of the United States as distinct from America and (just as importantly, as people would have to adopt it in mass) rolls off the tongue.
US-American feels manufactured, and United-Statesian is just way too clunky to ever catch on. Of course, what with the hundreds of songs proclaiming pride in being "American", I doubt any movement to change our predominant demonym will ever have much of an impact. One can always hope, though!
James Duff Law coined the term.
I just think … you should tell me how can words be manufactured.
I don’t really understand you on the definition of ‘US-American feeling manufactured’.
On the website of the University of Portland there are many introductory texts about its characteristics and those of the country in which most of the time they write "US American"!
It seems that there is a movement in the United States itself that notices (surely young) that the term "American" is too possessive, existing the name "The Americas" because some things referred to it are also called American (even in current English), as for example the existence of the Organization of American States based in Washington proves it! It is, it seems to me, a generation of
Most considerate US-Americans.
Texts with the name "US American" are published on the website of the St. Mark's School of Massachusetts, at least in their headlines because in some parts it is put back as only American, we must congratulate them!!
The proper and most accurate demonym for a citizen of the United States is "United Statian" (sometimes spelled United Stateian). The United States is a country – not a continent. The term American is ambiguous since citizens from Argentina, Panama, Canada, Costa Rica, Mexico, Brazil and other countries in the Americas are also Americans. Citizens of Russian are called Russian. Citizens of Canada are called Canadians. Citizens of South Africa are called South Africans. It is the same with other countries: England - English, Congo – Congolese, France – French, Switzerland – Swiss, Panama – Panamanian, and so forth. The United States is the only country I know of that arrogantly lays claim to be called by an entire continent (in this case, two continents) and routinely omits their country of origin.
Correction: ...(sometimes spelled United Statesian)
but for some reason, Netherlands - Dutch
LOL, but at least the good thing about the demonym Dutch is that: IT’S NOT “derived from any other word” or “taking away any other country’s name (etc.)”!
I would say that “Dutch” and “Netherlander(s) are …
the demonyms for the country of Netherlands! 🙂
Someone from the US is American. End of story. Don't disrespect the English Language like that.
Typical USian arrogance haha
Your name is not correct. Someone from the U.S. is not American by nationality, but only by Double-Continent. USA is the U.S., and the initials U.S. does not stand for America but stands for United States. Therefore, USA’s national demonym is United Statesian. End of story.
👉 There’s NO SUCH THING as “disrespecting a language” (including the English Language). So don’t disrespect the true meaning of all words in your language like that, as they all refer to the same thing in all languages - such as “America” truly means “The New World” and “American” truly means “someone or something related to the New World” - regardless of your language(s) that you speak.
America is a continent.
The United States Of America is a country
American are the people of The United States Of America
North-American are the people from Mexico, Canada and United States Of America.
Center-American and South-American are the people from such regeions.
The United States Of America!
You got that WRONG Dave! You make no sense. If you said America is a continent, then Americans are NOT (just) the people of United States. Americans are the people that live in the place called America (which is 1 or 2 continents). Americans is the demonym derived from the word America!
America is a single or double continent.
The United States of America (USA) is a country. United States (US) is the only acceptable short name for USA!
American(s) is/are the people of North America and South America.
North-American(s) is/are the people of Northern America and Middle America.
Northern-American(s) is/are the people of Canada, United States and Mexico.
Middle American(s) is/are the people of Central America and Caribbean America.
Central-American(s) is/are the people of Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama.
Caribbean-American(s) is/are the people of Bahamas, Cuba, Jamaica, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Antigua & Barbuda, Saint Kitts & Nevis, Dominica, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent & the Grenadines, Barbados, Grenada and Trinidad & Tobago.
South-American(s) is/are the people of Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, Brazil, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, Argentina and Chile.
Anglo Americans and Latin Americans are the people from such countries of America.
North and South America!
I 100% AGREE with the final paragraph as spoken: "We strongly believe that U.S. American is a fair demonym for the people of the United States of America; fair for them and fair for the continent inhabitants."
U.S. American is the MOST APPROPRIATE way to describe the USA's Demonym versus any other way (In My Opinion)!!! It helps let me know what everyone is referring to between the country and The Continent!!!
Way To Go and Congratulations to the Author(s) of this website!!!