Indeed, U.S.A. is not America!
America is the name of a whole continent. United States of America means that the United States belongs to America and NOT that America belongs to the United States. So, next time you want to refer to The United States of America, you can do it as U.S. or the States or whatever you want but not as only America. Gotcha?
How should I use the term America then?
Here we will show you some wrong and correct uses of the term America:
This is how we do it in America.
This is how we do it in the States.
- America is my country and I love it.
- The United States is my country and I love it.
- America lost the Vietnam war.
- U.S.A. lost the Vietnam war.
- Here in America we love Mc Donald's.
- Here in the U.S. we love Mc Donald's.
Please, note that this page in not about demonyms (gentilics) but about the way to call a country.
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Comments (1253)
German wrote:
I've never heard any Spaniards call the USA "América". The RAE states "uso abusivo", but the spanish meaning of "abusivo" has nothing to do "majority". "Abusar" is to make inadequate use of something. The only way Spaniards may hear "americano" as synonym of the USA is through US movies poorly doubbed by Puerto Ricans. I usually watch TVE and Antena 3, and have spoken with Spaniards a thousand times, and believe me: nobody in Spain calls the USA "América".
so yeah we are americans to because we were born in America (THE CONTINENT), you can't say anyone that was born here that is not an American, that means that i'm american too because i was born in America the continent.
Exactly. You are American in the continental sense, but not in the national sense. US citizens are Americans in both the continental and national sense. If a group is speaking English and discussing nationalities, you should know that people will think you are saying you are a US citizen if you describe yourself as American. You might not like this fact, but it is a fact nonetheless. You don’t have to like it, but you must acknowledge the fact that not every human being uses ‘America’ and ‘American’ exactly as you might want them to. Let’s have three cheers for reality!
Spain? Yes. Spain.
“Cada día es más frecuente, más natural que, hablando en español, nos refiramos a los americanos con el mismo sentido que a esta voz se da en los Estados Unidos.”
“Este uso no sólo está muy extendido entre hispanohablantes (ya no se diga en el inglés, lengua en la que es gentilicio exclusivo), sino que además su empleo viene dándose de muchos años atrás. Nunca imaginé sin embargo que hubiera pruebas de que esto ocurrió por primera vez, en lengua española, en el siglo XVIII. ...[E]n 1783, el patriota venezolano Francisco de Miranda emplea americano con el sentido de 'perteneciente o relativo a los Estados Unidos de América, o natural de ellos'.”
https://www.fondodeculturaeconomica.com/obra/suma/r1/buscar.asp?word2=americano
PREGUNTA:
“En España es más común decir "estadounidense" o "americano" al referirse a una persona de EE.UU.?”
RESPUESTAS:
“Al menos en mi entorno (sur de España), la gente suele utilizar "americano".”
“De forma casual o informal, «americano» es bastante común....”
“[A]mericano es mucho más comun.”
“Americano es más común.”
“Para personas de Estados Unidos informalmente se suele usar americanos....”
https://bit.ly/2Q08aso
América. 1. Debe evitarse la identificación del nombre de este continente con los Estados Unidos de América (→ Estados Unidos, 4), uso abusivo que se da sobre todo en España.
http://lema.rae.es/dpd/srv/search?id=hBnnxR9MOD6YmtLAqN
“...que se da sobre todo en España.”
“...en España.”
“...España.”
“Yo sé que en castellano utilizamos el término americano para referirnos a las personas estadounidenses....”
“De todas maneras en España lamentablemente tambien se usan las palabras americano y norte-americano cuando lo que se quiere decir es estadounidense....”
https://forum.wordreference.com/threads/american-north-american.1554864/
“¡Bravo! Finalmente parece que El País nos está poniendo atención a sus lectores americanos, a quienes nos incomoda profundamente que los reporteros y articulistas de este diario, se refieran a Estados Unidos de América simplemente como América.”
“...los reporteros y articulistas...se refieran a Estados Unidos de América simplemente como América.”
https://elpais.com/elpais/2012/11/29/defensor_del_lector/1354180510_135418.html
“Durante muchos años muchos hispanohablantes de muchos países pronunciaron muchas veces la palabra americano para referirse a los habitantes de los Estados Unidos de América o a lo relacionado con aquel país.”
“Y llegó el día en el que ocurrió lo inevitable —nuestra lengua cambia— y apareció una nueva acepción de americano en la edición del 2001 del Diccionario, y decía: ‘estadounidense’.”
https://www.archiletras.com/errorescorrectos/americano-o-estadounidense/
What about our neighbors to the South - Los Estados Unidos Mexicanos? Can we call them the US for short, too?
no... they are called Mexicans, Justin, Mexicans
Well, they have a proper name like any other country (but USA) and its short pronunciation is its own name, "Mexico"!
"United States of America" is a compounded name suited to name a region and not a country. Are we mistaken with the grammar?, do I see "Those United States of America as a country?, should I?
Grammaticality speaking it is a region or give it a name.