Why does the U.S. call itself "America"?

[Ft. Worth Frog]

The words America and Americans to describe this country/colony have been used a long time.For example, Nathaneal Greene, a general in the American Revolution, used the term "America" referring to the United Colonies in a letter to a friend. Again, in a letter by Greene to John Adams, he used the term "American politics". Both the British and rebels used the terms America and Americans. So, no, their usage does not reflect any extreme pride or jingoism as they have a long history of usage.

 

[sallycinnamon78]

I make it a habit to say "U.S" or "United States" or "North America" because I've heard it is offensive to other countries that make up the Americas to refer to the U.S. as "America". However, whenever I have traveled abroad people refer to me as "American" and I watch BBC news every night and the reporters constantly refer to the U.S. as "America."


So I don't think it's a matter of arrogance. Most of the world and most of the people living here think of "America" and the U.S. as the same thing.

"My fellow United Statians" doesn't sound as good as "My fellow 'Mericans".

I lived in the States for 3 years, and I found that it tends to be the rest of us who use the term 'America'. Almost everyone I met when I was living there referred to 'The US' or 'The States'. Even though I moved back to England in 1992, I still find it weird when people talk about 'America'. Or 'Merica, even.

Re, the earlier comment on Holland:

My degree in Dutch Studies taught me the answer to this. I just spend 10 minutes explaining and my comp crashed just as I finished typing.
As it's nearly 5am here and I can't be arsed typing it all out again...

The province of Holland was the cultural, political and economic center of the United Provinces. The greatest cities of the provinces were located within the province of Holland such as Amsterdam (the capital), Rotterdam, Leiden, the Hague (the seat of government), Delft and Haarlem. From the great port cities of Holland, Dutch merchants sailed to and from destinations all over Europe, and merchants from all over Europe gathered to trade in the warehouses of Amsterdam and other trading cities of Holland. As a result, many Europeans heard of the United Provinces first as "Holland" rather than "Republic of the Seven United Provinces of the Netherlands". This tradition continues to this day.

 

[meegannie]

My sense is that foreigners call the U.S., "America" just to follow the U.S. example...

Maybe orginally, but in my experience here in the UK, Americans here tend to say either "the U.S." or "the States," while 99% of British people I've spoken to call it "America." I always say I'm from "the U.S." (because lots of people assume I'm Canadian), and sometimes get a confused look, a pause, and a "The what? Oh, you mean America!"

 

[beli]

Doesn't it seem too pretentious to you to have a country that actually uses name of the whole continent to call just their own country?

Yes. The term 'American' in reference to solely people from the USA is bigoted and ........ I've just edited my post as this topic makes my blood BOIL!!!!

Im out.

 

[indra]

Re: Re: Why does the U.S. call itself "America"?

Yes. The term 'American' in reference to solely people from the USA is bigoted and ........ I've just edited my post as this topic makes my blood BOIL!!!!

Im out.

Damn! I would have loved to have read your post before you edited.

I still think we should have gone for a cool name instead of a bland one. But I guess now we're stuck with it.

 

[DaveC]

I've only read the first page of this thread so I may be way off/arguments already used by now, but...

I'm Canadian and part of North America. I've never been offended (nor have I heard of anyone except the virulently Anti-American) by someone using the term "American" to describe a resident of the United States of America.

I mean hell, there's all sorts of precedent:

- People's Republic of China: they call themselves the "Chinese", not the "Peoplesians".
- Democratic People's Republic of Korea: call themselves the "Koreans", not the "Democrats".

I don't see why it's a problem to anyone. Nobody gets offended by it or thinks it's American arrogance.

 

[DaveC]

In Canada, we never say "America", always "United States", for obvious reasons.

Nice generalization.

I say "America" all the time.

And what "obvious reasons?"

 

[Badyouken]

Nice generalization.

I say "America" all the time.

And what "obvious reasons?"

Really?? Wow. Sorry. I *never* heard anybody say "America" here. Here being Montréal to Ottawa. That's not all of Canada of course. I didn't mean to generalize...! But even in the Canadian media, I never heard America.

Reasons? Well because we're also in "America".

 

[Badyouken]

The province of Holland was the cultural, political and economic center of the United Provinces. The greatest cities of the provinces were located within the province of Holland such as Amsterdam (the capital), Rotterdam, Leiden, the Hague (the seat of government), Delft and Haarlem. From the great port cities of Holland, Dutch merchants sailed to and from destinations all over Europe, and merchants from all over Europe gathered to trade in the warehouses of Amsterdam and other trading cities of Holland. As a result, many Europeans heard of the United Provinces first as "Holland" rather than "Republic of the Seven United Provinces of the Netherlands". This tradition continues to this day.

Yep.

 

[Badyouken]

I always say I'm from "the U.S." (because lots of people assume I'm Canadian), and sometimes get a confused look, a pause, and a "The what? Oh, you mean America!"

Why do people assume you're from Canada?

 

[verte76]

I never call the U.S. "America". It's the United States. But when I'm referring to my nationality, "American" is the only term I'm familiar with. "North America" wouldn't do because that would include Canada. I agree that it's really not fair or accurate, but there doesn't seem to be an alternative.

 

[meegannie]

Why do people assume you're from Canada?

Because my accent isn't very strong. Even Canadians think I'm Canadian.

 

[melon]

Because my accent isn't very strong. Even Canadians think I'm Canadian.

Are we supposed to have a strong accent?

I get the same thing sometimes, actually.

Melon

 

[cardosino]

Doesn't it seem too pretentious to you to have a country that actually uses name of the whole continent to call just their own country?

Yes, some people may argue that it is more practical to call U.S. citizens like that (the word "unitedstatian" does not exist) and that the full name of the country is "United States of America" and so on... but I can't get over the fact that it may sound like an act of disrespect towards the rest of the people living in the same continent (which are also "Americans").

With the same argument, if Italy was called "Italian Republic of Europe", then Italians would be "Europeans", following the same line of thought.

I might be overreacting and perhaps missing some historical fact that gives the U.S. the right to use the name of the continent, but I am curious about how you feel about this...

Why does "The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland" callitself "the UK, or "Britain" ?

Because it's shorter...

 

[meegannie]

Are we supposed to have a strong accent?

I mean that I've lost some of my American accent. Everyone describes my accent as "soft." I guess because it's not very brassy and I don't have any obvious regional accent.

 

[VertigoGal]

Re: Re: Re: Why does the U.S. call itself "America"?

I still think we should have gone for a cool name instead of a bland one. But I guess now we're stuck with it.

I agree whole-heartedly! Why don't we have a cool name like Venezuela or Australia or something?

Just like I'm stuck with this name of VertigoGal and I don't even like the song Vertigo!

 

[anitram]

Really?? Wow. Sorry. I *never* heard anybody say "America" here. Here being Montréal to Ottawa. That's not all of Canada of course. I didn't mean to generalize...! But even in the Canadian media, I never heard America.

In Toronto, I can honestly say I also never hear anybody say "America" except for immigrants who use it as a term in their native language. I'd say 99% of people here will say "the States".

 

[Badyouken]

In Toronto, I can honestly say I also never hear anybody say "America" except for immigrants who use it as a term in their native language. I'd say 99% of people here will say "the States".

 

[u2bonogirl]

Are we supposed to have a strong accent?

I get the same thing sometimes, actually.

Melon

I never really thought about the fact that americans *ahem* U.S. Citizens
have accents
Theres a lot of different accents that we can have from here depending on region
So there really isnt an "american" accent

 

[verte76]

When I took speech in school, I had to use a "standard American accent", which is to say not a Southern accent. Our teacher was from Illinois, so we basically learned a Midwest accent. Later on I was mistaken for a Canadian, someone from northern California, and other places I'm not from. I've been to the U.K. twice and people could tell I was from the States.

 

[u2bonogirl]

Im just glad that when I moved from the northwest to northern virginia I didnt sound different than most of the people
I was already "exotic enough" for certain reasons

It makes me wonder if theres different accents and dialects for european countries

 

[anitram]

It makes me wonder if theres different accents and dialects for european countries

Of course there are. Just listen to people from different parts of England and they'll have totally different accents.

In fact, some countries have dialects so different from each other that speakers can't even understand one another.

 

[u2bonogirl]

sorry to sound stupid Ive just never been there

 

[VertigoGal]

I never really thought about the fact that americans *ahem* U.S. Citizens
have accents
Theres a lot of different accents that we can have from here depending on region
So there really isnt an "american" accent

yes, the most annoying being the wiscaahnnson accent, my grandparents claim i have a southern accent, but i swear i dont!

 

[u2bonogirl]

warsh
That one always gets me
Get in the caaaaaaa
*vroom*
okay, Im way too amused with myself at the moment

 

[anitram]

sorry to sound stupid Ive just never been there

Not stupid at all! You really wouldn't know something like that until you go there.

Like I never had any idea what the hell grits were until I went to the South, lol.

 

[u2bonogirl]

Or rocky mountain oysters
Those seem to throw people off a bit.

 

[starsforu2]

Accents may end up going the way of the Dodo if our TV consumption trumps local learning. A lot of National Newcasts aim for a "flat" Mid-Atlantic accent, and if enough people are watching enough TV, we'll blend a lot more and end up closer together in our dialects.

I've been told that there are many different dialects in Italy, but some are becoming extinct because of TV.

It would be too bad to lose all those interesting accents but it might be headed our way.

 

[Badyouken]

Accents may end up going the way of the Dodo if our TV consumption trumps local learning. A lot of National Newcasts aim for a "flat" Mid-Atlantic accent, and if enough people are watching enough TV, we'll blend a lot more and end up closer together in our dialects.

I've been told that there are many different dialects in Italy, but some are becoming extinct because of TV.

Yep. In the case of Italy, TV and radio had a unifying effect. Before then, "Italian" (which is based on the Toscan dialect) was not spoken everywhere in Italy. Today it is, alongside other dialects. But at least, pretty much everybody in Italy can speak "Italian", which was not always the case.

 

[Badyouken]

Like I never had any idea what the hell grits were until I went to the South, lol.

The what?!