Pantalaimon Posted July 19, 2008 Share Posted July 19, 2008 Just wondering... Americans (just using that word because of the lack of a more proper one, in my opinion) use the word "America" to mean the US. Canadians don't say America at all, but if they want to speak about the US, they just say "the US", "the United States", or simply "the States". Americans (don't know about other people) are taught that North America and South America are two completely different continents, the same way Europe and Africa are different, in Spanish speaking countries "America" is one big continent divided in three subcontinents, like Europe being divided in Western and Eastern Europe, so American (Americano in Spanish) means someone from America, the whole continent, and Americans are estadounidenses (From Estados Unidos, United States), so technically Canadians, Mexicans, Brazilians, etc are all Americans. The Real Academia Española (the Spanish equivalent to the French Académie française), says it is incorrect to call americano to someone from the US. And I just wanna know what you think This isn't to prove anyone right or wrong, just to know what different people from around the globe think. Link to comment https://www.insanelymac.com/forum/topic/116507-the-word-america/ Share on other sites More sharing options...
apowerr Posted July 19, 2008 Share Posted July 19, 2008 To me it means the United States (as I live there ) but really it should refer to the continent(s). I have no problem saying 'US' instead. Link to comment https://www.insanelymac.com/forum/topic/116507-the-word-america/#findComment-824897 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Numberzz Posted July 19, 2008 Share Posted July 19, 2008 I said it means "United States," and that it should refer to the continent. The only downside is that we can't say United States-ian. Link to comment https://www.insanelymac.com/forum/topic/116507-the-word-america/#findComment-824910 Share on other sites More sharing options...
apowerr Posted July 19, 2008 Share Posted July 19, 2008 I said it means "United States," and that it should refer to the continent. The only downside is that we can't say United States-ian. Good point, American means US citizen (to me) and it just feels weird to not think that. America can be the continent, but Americans are from the US Link to comment https://www.insanelymac.com/forum/topic/116507-the-word-america/#findComment-824920 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paranoid Marvin Posted July 19, 2008 Share Posted July 19, 2008 Yeah, I guess I do use it to refer to people from the USA, when in fact it can mean anyone from the Americas... Link to comment https://www.insanelymac.com/forum/topic/116507-the-word-america/#findComment-825050 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Descalzo Posted July 19, 2008 Share Posted July 19, 2008 I said it means "United States," and that it should refer to the continent. The only downside is that we can't say United States-ian. The Spanish word estadounidense means precisely United-States-ian. Interestingly, the REAL name of Mexico is Los Estados Unidos Méxicanos, so I guess they would technically be estadounidenses as well! No, I have sometimes heard Latinos call us gringo, huero, gabacho, or whatever. NEVER estadounidense, rarely americano. I have no problems with whatever. I can see plenty of justification for US people being called American, because it's in the name of our country. I can also see how it comes off as arrogant (and usually is accompanied by arrogance!). I think it would be nice if there were something that everyone can agree on to call us poor USans. Until then, I guess I'll have to stick with American. My sincere apologies to all of my brothers from other countries in the Western hemisphere. Also, I have heard many many people refer to America as 2 separate continents. My buddy from Chile and also my buddy from Ecuador both refer to it as Sudamerica. Maybe they do that for my benefit, I don't know. I've only been out of the United States twice, and both times it was like going 20 miles past Tijuana. Link to comment https://www.insanelymac.com/forum/topic/116507-the-word-america/#findComment-825861 Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonTheSavage Posted July 20, 2008 Share Posted July 20, 2008 America hasn't existed since 1861. The United States was born shortly thereafter. Link to comment https://www.insanelymac.com/forum/topic/116507-the-word-america/#findComment-826161 Share on other sites More sharing options...
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