Thread: Why are they called Americans?

Originally Posted by gugi

May be somebody needs a name upgrade - earthians?

Actually, it's "Earthican"

/anyone who laughs at that should register themselves as a card carrying geek

and another thing that has always bugged me... why are they called Canadians? they don't live in Canadia. if anything, shouldn't it be Canadan?

Originally Posted by jnich67

I don't have time to look it up right now, but was the US the first proper country in the Americas? If so, maybe that's where the appellation came from because it was appropriate at the time. Otherwise, maybe its like a brand name that sticks because the product is the most common/often thought of - United States of Q-Tip?

Jordan

I believe the USA is the only country in the world with "America" in it's formal title. Mexico is formally "Estados Unidos Mexicanos" which could translate as either "United Mexican States" or "United States of Mexico." So "Unites Statians" would not be completely unambiguous either. As far as naming the land masses "The Americas", that was done by European explorers, but probably derived from local names. At least thats the way I learned it ages ago...

In general, citizens of the USA don't claim any monopoly on the term "American." It can be properly used to describe people or cultures of the inhabits of ANY of the American continents. But usually its non-Americans (in the broadest sense of the word) that raise a stink about it.

Hmmmmm this has me thinking that maybe when they are chanting "Death to America" that maybe they are not talking about the good ol US of A maybe their pissed at the Canadians or the Mexicans....
Ya think????

Originally Posted by gssixgun

Hmmmmm this has me thinking that maybe when they are chanting "Death to America" that maybe they are not talking about the good ol US of A maybe their pissed at the Canadians or the Mexicans....
Ya think????

Not just the North Americans, Glen - they're probably pissed at Hugo Chavez or Fidel Castro's brother

I always thought that the Americas was the mass of land that consisted of North America and South America.
In the North you find two countries, Canada and The United States of America.
In the South you find many different countries from Mexico in the North of South America to Argentina in the South of South America
The inhabitants of Canada are called Canadians.
The inhabitants of Mexico are called Mexicans.
The inhabitants of Argentina are called Argentineans.
The inhabitants of The United States of America are called Americans.

Well that's the polite name anyway.
As an Englishman I always think of Americans as colonials. Because as I recollect we, The British colonized that land mass a few years back.

Anyway, I'm English I was born in England, I'm also British because I come from Great Britain and I'm also a citizen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. I am also a European. So beat that for confusing.

Originally Posted by English

I always thought that the Americas was the mass of land that consisted of North America and South America.
In the North you find two countries, Canada and The United States of America.
In the South you find many different countries from Mexico in the North of South America to Argentina in the South of South America
The inhabitants of Canada are called Canadians.
The inhabitants of Mexico are called Mexicans.
The inhabitants of Argentina are called Argentineans.
The inhabitants of The United States of America are called Americans.

Well that's the polite name anyway.
As an Englishman I always think of Americans as colonials. Because as I recollect we, The British colonized that land mass a few years back.

Anyway, I'm English I was born in England, I'm also British because I come from Great Britain and I'm also a citizen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. I am also a European. So beat that for confusing.

When did you all stop paying attention to being "English" - as in Anglo-Saxon and "British" as in the original inhabitants - or at least those there when the Romans arrived? I'm just curious. I'm reading a book called "The Tribes of Britain". It is indeed very confusing. Off topic again. Sorry.

Oh, and how come the Danes have no place in there?

Jordan

Originally Posted by hoglahoo

I call myself an Oklahoman I just happen to live in a state that is united (so they say) to 49 others

Reminds me of the old joke about the cowboy named "Tex"..when asked where he was from he said, "Louisiana, but nobody calls me Louise!"

Originally Posted by English

So beat that for confusing.

My kids have Native North American blood, European blood, Asian blood, and probably some African. I'm not sure which of my heritages I should cling to. I get blamed for everything anyone who ever died has ever done without receiving any of the reparations That facilitates my preference to think of myself as a free citizen who isn't bound by anyone else's choices but his own.

Also, in this part of the world we call Mexico part of North America. The categories might have different boundaries elsewhere.

Originally Posted by English

I always thought that the Americas was the mass of land that consisted of North America and South America.
In the North you find two countries, Canada and The United States of America.
In the South you find many different countries from Mexico in the North of South America to Argentina in the South of South America

Originally Posted by English

Anyway, I'm English I was born in England, I'm also British because I come from Great Britain and I'm also a citizen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. I am also a European. So beat that for confusing.

I don't think so - see the previous quote - sounds to me you're an american, or at least you went to school in the american colonies

Ok, for everybody that may need to brush up on their geography, I include the following 4 maps, it's a free country after all, everything is abundant and there's always the right map for the right situation:
1) The All AMERICAN Map
2) The Annotated Map - yeah, in plain ENGLISH to weed out all illiterate immigrants
3) The National Pride Map - for all your history buffs, don't let anybody tell you USofA doesn't have long history - this is the map of the founder.
4) The most important - Current Politics Map, a.k.a Don't take your eyes off the ball!