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**bunkalapa** · 11-25-2009, 05:02 PM

You've got to be kidding. A "trend"? Is it a trend to call people from Europe "Europeans"? Or from Asia "Asians"? Or just the fact that people from certain regions are called by that region proper adjective? For America (name of the supercontinent comprising South America and North America), said proper adjective is "American", like it or not, and not a "trend".

You might be correct from a grammatical standpoint, but that is not how the term is used in the English language. Of course in Spanish, Portuguese and other languages it is a different context. I remember learning this distinction back in high school Spanish.

I'm Uruguayan, therefore American. Once again, you like it or not. In American English you would typically be referred to as South American. English typically distinguishes between the North, South and Central Americas.

The name America for the region was in use for a good quarter of a milennium prior to the foundation of USA. From where do you think they got the name? Amerigo Vespucci?

(By the way, "United States" doesn't cut it either... There are more United States in America.) True, but there is only one united States of America.

On a related note, try calling a Canadian an American and see what reaction you might get.

If you want to be pedantic, Columbia usurped its name from the U.S.A.

11-25-2009, 05:02 PM	#25
bunkalapa Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 496 Senior Member	You've got to be kidding. A "trend"? Is it a trend to call people from Europe "Europeans"? Or from Asia "Asians"? Or just the fact that people from certain regions are called by that region proper adjective? For America (name of the supercontinent comprising South America and North America), said proper adjective is "American", like it or not, and not a "trend". You might be correct from a grammatical standpoint, but that is not how the term is used in the English language. Of course in Spanish, Portuguese and other languages it is a different context. I remember learning this distinction back in high school Spanish. I'm Uruguayan, therefore American. Once again, you like it or not. In American English you would typically be referred to as South American. English typically distinguishes between the North, South and Central Americas. The name America for the region was in use for a good quarter of a milennium prior to the foundation of USA. From where do you think they got the name? Amerigo Vespucci? (By the way, "United States" doesn't cut it either... There are more United States in America.) True, but there is only one united States of America. On a related note, try calling a Canadian an American and see what reaction you might get. If you want to be pedantic, Columbia usurped its name from the U.S.A.
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