Thread: Why are they called Americans?

Originally Posted by DSailing

I think it was the Spanish who first colonized America, but of course there were inhabitants here long before the Europeans arrived who acted more civilized than modern civilization.

I consider myself a human and try not to affiliate with being an American because that just states where I currently reside.

I consider myself a giant who smells the blood of an Englishman - be he alive or be he dead I'll grind his bones to make my bread.

When I was a kid visiting mexico I was always told to just say I was from the US, otherwise I could end up offending.

Originally Posted by hoglahoo

I don't know how much animosity is left in the term Yankee from the Civil War

um, a lot. seriously. I know I'd be very offended. the term, in modern usage, has nothing to do with orientation to the Mason-Dixon line, but rather mindset. in East Texas and parts of Tennessee, it's basically like saying to someone, "you are an overcultured, arrogant, rude, clueless urbanite who probably can't even change his own oil."

you see, us Southerners are portrayed (at least as far as broad media coverage is concerned) as dim-witted, trailer-dwelling neanderthals, while our Northern brethren are shown as perpetually busy, fast talking yuppies with little or no moral fiber. (this applies to New England, and not really the northwest) thus, calling someone a Yankee is to imply that they fit this popular stereotype, which is generally considered highly undesirably here in the South.

Nothing personal but this is one of the most rediculous posts we've had here.

When you really think about it what's in a name anyway. If you look back in history especially in Europe how many countries have changed hands and territories. What do all those people call themselves. The new name or the old name. And their ancestors what about them. My people were from the Austro Hungarian Empire so what would that be now?. And all those countries in Africa that have changes and moved over the past 40 -50 years or so?

There's probably more people in the world in that situation than people who clearly know what they are and who they are. Remember all the Native American's. What are they? The tribes are considered legally to be sovereign nations. What about the old Soviet Union before it broke up, what are they? Ukranians or Russians or what?

We could go on and on with this forever. And what the heck is the difference between England and the United Kingdom anyway? are they English or United Kingians (sounds like a soccer team eh)

Originally Posted by jockeys

Actually, it's "Earthican"

The latin name for the Earth is Terra so we're all Terran. If I started a country in Antarctica called The People's Free Socialist State of Terra. We'd be Terran and you could be too, no matter where you're from. You'd all then be in the same boat that we Canadians are in. Since there are only two other (functional) countries in North America, Canadians and Mexicans strongly prefer to differentiate themselves (and who wouldn't) from "Americans". South Americans seem to have less problem with the obvious paradox of being American without actually being Americans.

Originally Posted by LX_Emergency

I think I'd say United Statians from now on.

I say USAnian. oo-SAY-knee-an

X

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

Mexico is in North America. There's a whole stretch of North American countries that aren't USA or Canada, from Mexico to Panama. This is sometimes called Central America, which I always took as a term to mean "North America what the Spaniards settled" (of course, then you'd have to include parts of the country won/annexed in the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, but that's a whole big can of worms).


A bilingual friend introduced me to the term estadounidense, which is Spanish for, well, citizen of the United States. Not so dissimilar from United Statian, really.

Originally Posted by loueedacat

Ok, so how do you explain the silly clogs then? And is there a rule that the taller you are, the longer your name has to be (a certain Celtic striker comes to mind, whose name is far longer than that of the shorter Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink).

What would you like explained for clogs? They're shoes....out of wood? What's to explain?

As for the taller people, longer name thing? First time I've ever heard of it....but sounds like simply nonsense. My brothers are both taller than me and have shorter names

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

And what the heck is the difference between England and the United Kingdom anyway? are they English or United Kingians (sounds like a soccer team eh)

There is a difference! Us Brits aren't all English you know. I'm Welsh but live in England. Moved here to find work many years ago. I am still a Welshman even though I live in England. Same for the English, Scots and Northern Irish. We are all Brits but only the English are English!

To add even more confusion to the pot, Britain doesn't include Northern Ireland, that's part of the United Kingdom.

My biggest problem is that, having lived in England for many years. my Welsh accent has changed. Not enough to sound English to the English, but enough to sound English to the Welsh. This means I'm a foreigner in England and in Wales...

Gareth

Originally Posted by DSailing

I think it was the Spanish who first colonized America, but of course there were inhabitants here long before the Europeans arrived who acted more civilized than modern civilization.

Yeah, but you know because the Portuguese king at that time denied to sponsor the Colombo's trip, he turned to the Spanish king and eventually found the North American continent using the Spanish flag.
That didn't stop the Portuguese to discover the South American continent and occupy half of that land that today goes by the name of Brazil.

Originally Posted by LX_Emergency

As for the taller people, longer name thing? First time I've ever heard of it....but sounds like simply nonsense. My brothers are both taller than me and have shorter names

Alex, I've been in your country last year and I can tell you all that you dutch people are really tall! According to a recent European study, you're the tallest Europeans.

Originally Posted by xman

I say USAnian. oo-SAY-knee-an

X

That almost sounds like U.S. alien.