Americans

[jasong]

I was just day-dreaming right now, and I had a thought.

I am on the American continent. The biggest countries on here with me are the US, Canada, and Mexico, with a lot of smaller countries below Mexico. So why are people from the US the only ones called Americans? If I go to another country, will I encounter separate words? Conceptually, I mean, I know the words could be spelled differently in another language.

If US citizens are the only ones called Americans, how did we get this honor? Was it luck? I've considered the possibility that between being declared a country, and now, we've simply been the most influential overall.

Maybe someone could enlighten me on this?

[Bok]

Why is it an honor ? I'm sure canadians feel it is an honor to be Canadians too, same goes for mexicans and any other patriotic member of a country. I think you are being incredibly egocentric to even mention that. I'm sure em99010pepe will have a field day

The continent is called America, the US population originally decided to call it the United States of America, their choice that's all. Canada could equally have decided to be called the Canadian States of America or something if they so wished.

Oh, and I think you'll find Brazil and Argentina are pretty large countries if you check your geography.

It is nothing to do with influence or luck, just a decision to be named after the continent.

Just like South Africa is named after their continent.

I mean, really.

[axn]

So why are people from the US the only ones called Americans?

May be because the full name of the country is United States of America? It's damn inconvenient to call'em United-States-of-Americans

I don't believe the word America is present in the name of any country in either North America or South America (but I could be wrong).

[Paratima]

It's been my experience that Canadians (in general) are not amazingly happy with citizens of the USA calling themselves "Americans" as if they owned the whole shooting match.

You have to balance that with the fact that some Canadians don't seem to be amazingly happy with citizens of the USA, anyway. But then, who can blame them.

Just as an aside, there was once a Confederate States of America, but it didn't last. Furthermore, now that I think about it, the first homebrewed government of the USA called itself the "Continental Congress". What cheek!

Of all the things there are, people are still the strangest.

[em99010pepe]

Looking at the age of the countries USA is a young one ~200 years old compared to Brazil, 508 years old, so you mentioned honor and influence...only in a negative side..lol. In my point of view you can consider all people from North, Center and South of America as Americans....I live in Europe so I am European.

[Fozzie]

a feeling of belonging.

I am English, born in England of English parents, however as far as ancestry goes I have Welsh, Scottish and Irish blood in certain fractions. So I should say I am British. However if you then look back further who is to say I haven't got some French in me from the Normans coming over or Danish or Norwegian blood fom way back when.

So I should say I am European, trouble is being quite insular as the Britsih are and still harking back to the days of The Empire we still see ourselves (less so now) as a breed apart.

So when someone asks me about nationality English is the answer they get.

As far as the Yanks go they are a cesspool genetically of pretty much anything and everything, 200+ years of immigration and cross-fornication.

[LAURENU2]

The US gets the Best and worst of ALL countries
That makes us both proud and sad
But it is our Leaders that make the world look down at the US
I think We need another Tea Party

[IronBits]

There is a South America and a North America.
Who named them that I know not.

Several states came together and formed the original 'united states'...
United States of America (north) pretty simple eh.

Read your History Book jason.

[gopher_yarrowzoo]

R-r-r-r-read a Book! what's one of them, oh wait is that when someone prints out the whole DVD

[Paratima]

As far as the Yanks go they are a cesspool genetically of pretty much anything and everything, 200+ years of immigration and cross-fornication.

No need to sugar-coat it, Fozz. Tell it like it is!!

It is unlikely that America was named for Amerigo Vespucci. Some historians doubt that Vespucci even reached this side of the world, and if he had, would not have given it his FIRST name! Countries and continents were always given the discoverer's family name. We would be living in Vespuccia!

It was more likely named for a Bristol merchant, Richard Ameryk. There is a fairly lively debate over this whole subject. Google both names, read the histories (try to find a better authority than Wikipedia), and decide for yourself.

[wirthi]

In German, you will officially be calles "US-Amerikaner" - see the corresponding Wikipedia-Category for example: de-cat. As a constrast, the english Wikipedia uses "american people" as name of the US-category! en-cat

Of course, colloqually you are called "Amerikaner" in German, just as you suggest.

I, like most people here, would not call a Canadian or a Mexican "Amerikaner" (="from the continent America"), while the words "Asiate" or "Afrikaner" are widespread. Evidently the dominance of the US on the american continent is to blame for this inconsistency.

In Europe, a similar effect can be seen right now: While it is more or less obvious, which countries belong to Europe, more and more people say "Europäer" ("European") but only mean inhabitants of the European Union. I suppose this effect can only be monitored in countries inside the EU for now, though.