America
- Thread starter Plendakor
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He's Dead, Jim
Member
Mexico = Estados Unidos Mexicanos --> we call it Mexico
America = United States of America --> we call it America
derp
America = United States of America --> we call it America
derp
JeffTD
Senhor Testiculo
As a Canadian, would you like to be called an American? No. It refers to the USA exclusively; it's just colloquial language.
egan.
daylightdies.com
LeSedna
Mat or Mateo
The funny thing about the thread is we already discussed that sometime ago ! Technically America is the continent (otherwise North America would make no sense) but on a daily basis, every one everywhere would understand or mean USA, it's just how it is. Just like mistakes become rules when they dominate (like words which have two different spelling).
In french we have the old word "the americs" (that would be the literal translation). It's not used anymore but must have evolved into "America" when the colonial era ended and the country became more important - just guessing
In french we have the old word "the americs" (that would be the literal translation). It's not used anymore but must have evolved into "America" when the colonial era ended and the country became more important - just guessing
Clockwork
Bass playing guy.
No JeffTD but when someone says "In America" I like to say "hey I'm up here" in the crew, not a European place, just like when refering to North America. I don't think "In America" refers to the USA only, but I do find that "Americans" is USA-er only yes.
lol..
I think most people in the world are aware that Canada is in North America and not some "European place" and use American/Canadian for an added level of specificity.
North and South America are two separate continents, so "North America" makes total sense when referring to that continent. "The Americas" is appropriate when referring to North and South America and to the Caribbean.
And, as far as I'm aware around here, "America," when shortened to "'Merica," or "'Murica," is used sarcastically to denote USA-centric ignoramuses who think the USA is the only part of the world that matters and "fuck the rest of the world cause they ain't 'Murica. 'Murica!"
ratsapprentice
God can gtfo
It's just the same as people calling English people Brits or referring to a "British accent" but Scottish people Scots and Irish, well.... Irish.
We're all British.
We're all British.
viralz
Member
ratsapprentice
God can gtfo
We all live in the British isles, none are any more British than the other.
It's just that the English are the most numerous so the term is associated with us.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Great_Britain
Calling someone English a Brit is no different than me calling you an American, yeah sure, you are... but you are Canadian first.
It's just that the English are the most numerous so the term is associated with us.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Great_Britain
Calling someone English a Brit is no different than me calling you an American, yeah sure, you are... but you are Canadian first.
JeffTD
Senhor Testiculo
No JeffTD but when someone says "In America" I like to say "hey I'm up here" in the crew, not a European place
lol..
That's just silly - you don't even live in Canada; you live in Diet France.
America only refers to the USA for all intents and purposes. The America's = north/south. North America = Mex, USA, CAN. Latin America = latin america.
He's Dead, Jim
Member
It is worth noting that Latin Americans will sometimes refer to "America" instead of "the Americas" in a trans-continental sense. They have much more of a sense of belong to a hemispheric community than we do, at least in my experience, and that informs the terms they use to refer to the different segments of it. If you say "I'm from America" to a Latin American, it sounds either redundant or obnoxious.
J the TyranT
Thats just how it is...
Its not even Latin America... so cut that shit out. Its Central America... and then there's South America.
However, this is a stupid ass conversation. North America is a continent, But the US of A is the name of the country. Canada is fucking Canada.. why call you anything but Canadians?
You want to distinguish why people refer to the countries of origin rather than continents? Ive got "european" friends... I call em what they are, first... germans, swedes, swiss, english.. not europeans.
I dont call russian people "asians"... that'd be stupid. Call em russians.
im going to bed.
However, this is a stupid ass conversation. North America is a continent, But the US of A is the name of the country. Canada is fucking Canada.. why call you anything but Canadians?
You want to distinguish why people refer to the countries of origin rather than continents? Ive got "european" friends... I call em what they are, first... germans, swedes, swiss, english.. not europeans.
I dont call russian people "asians"... that'd be stupid. Call em russians.
im going to bed.
JeffTD
Senhor Testiculo
It = what? Latin America refers to a HUGE portion of both North and South America, so you cut that shit out. Central America is a specific region in North America; Latin America encompasses most of it. I like how you get all uppity when you think someone is referring to something by a not-quite accurate name and then say it's a stupid thing to argue about.
Russia is culturally European and most of its population is on the Western (AKA European) side of the country; it makes sense to refer to them generally as European.
But you're missing the point of the OP entirely - this isn't about distinguishing countries of origin, it's about why the term "America" refers specifically to the USA.
Anyways OP, to seriously answer your question, it's because it makes sense considering the name of the country. The United States of America - historically, there were/are a TON of other places called the United States (just to the south, the official name is the United States of Mexico) - if we were "United Statesian" it would cause a ton of confusion. United States of America is just shortened to "America" and it's become common practice to refer to the country as such.
If someone says they're an American and you respond with "So am I, I'm from North America," you're not technically wrong but you certainly come across as a pedantic asshole and a bit of a try-hard. It's just a dumb thing to argue about - it's like asking why oranges get to be called oranges even though carrots are also orange.
wow, you guys are putting way too much thought into this
i always figured the USA was deemed america in the informal sense because we were the 1st nation on this side of the world to kick the euros out, and include the name of our continent in that of our country...so while mexico may technically be called Los Estados Unidos de Mexicanos or whatever the fuck their official name is, we were rocking the America tag while they were still a spanish colony. same thing applies to all the rest of the countries in our hemisphere who took 100+ years longer than us to pick up some guns and force a change in management.
speaking of which...i sometimes wonder which came 1st, the color or the fruit?
i always figured the USA was deemed america in the informal sense because we were the 1st nation on this side of the world to kick the euros out, and include the name of our continent in that of our country...so while mexico may technically be called Los Estados Unidos de Mexicanos or whatever the fuck their official name is, we were rocking the America tag while they were still a spanish colony. same thing applies to all the rest of the countries in our hemisphere who took 100+ years longer than us to pick up some guns and force a change in management.
speaking of which...i sometimes wonder which came 1st, the color or the fruit?
Jind
Grrrr!!! (I'm a bear)
- Mar 7, 2009
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Seriously silly argument. We have well established norms for what things mean when said even if the "technical" meaning is somewhat diluted by the interpretation. Arguing whether when someone says "I'm going to America" opens the questions as to what America they are going to is simply stubbornness for stubbornness sake to ignore common understanding and acceptance among a vast majority of the world.
We have developed these norms of language understanding over long periods of time regardless whether the absolute semantics hold true are besides the point - it's what we understand words and phrases to mean that matters more so than precise meaning.
But hey - if you want to argue over semantics have at it. Perhaps hundreds or thousands of years from now you'll convince enough people to change how they interpret a word. Yea!!!!
We have developed these norms of language understanding over long periods of time regardless whether the absolute semantics hold true are besides the point - it's what we understand words and phrases to mean that matters more so than precise meaning.
But hey - if you want to argue over semantics have at it. Perhaps hundreds or thousands of years from now you'll convince enough people to change how they interpret a word. Yea!!!!
