Even when we stated on our home page that this site is not about demonyms, because of popular demand, we are forced to clarify on this issue.
What is Demonyms?
A demonym is a name given to natives or residents of a certain or specific place. The term gentilic was used previously but is now uncommon.
A demonym is usually, but not always, derived from the name of a place.
So what about the people from the United States?
It's wide known that many people use the term American to refer to the people from the United States of America, hence overlapping the demonyms of the inhabitants of the continent of America (remember that America is one whole continent with three sub continents) with the inhabitants of the country.
So many scholars have proposed the use of many terms to solve this misuse: US American and Unitedstatesian and USian among others.
We strongly believe that US American is a fair demonym for the people of the United States of America; fair for them and fair for the continent inhabitants.
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Comments (22)
This is for English speakers who visit the web (a little game), if you had to invent a demonym for an inhabitant of The Americas, what would it be like? (obviously different from the word "American")
Looks like a United Statian has hacked the website
Nathan once in the community of Spanish-speaking countries to which my country (Argentina) belongs, suggested an acronym (new word created from initials or parts of various words like "Unesco" and which originated the word "laser" ) for a demonym that will overcome the "American/americano" controversy, and it is about using the classic initials "US" and joining them to the word "american" and pronouncing it all together, "usamericano"*. Do not confuse with US-American you said it sounds manufactured.
So, for English it would be "Usamerican"! It seems to me that it is not so far from the current "American" and it also sounds informal to me.
* from this acronym demonym could be derived one that replaces the use of the word "America" by the people of the United States, that is, "Usamerica"!
To steal one from Frank Lloyd Wright, I think Usonian would be a great term to adopt. It both captures the essence of the United States as distinct from America and (just as importantly, as people would have to adopt it in mass) rolls off the tongue.
US-American feels manufactured, and United-Statesian is just way too clunky to ever catch on. Of course, what with the hundreds of songs proclaiming pride in being "American", I doubt any movement to change our predominant demonym will ever have much of an impact. One can always hope, though!
On the website of the University of Portland there are many introductory texts about its characteristics and those of the country in which most of the time they write "US American"!
It seems that there is a movement in the United States itself that notices (surely young) that the term "American" is too possessive, existing the name "The Americas" because some things referred to it are also called American (even in current English), as for example the existence of the Organization of American States based in Washington proves it! It is, it seems to me, a generation of
Most considerate US-Americans.
Texts with the name "US American" are published on the website of the St. Mark's School of Massachusetts, at least in their headlines because in some parts it is put back as only American, we must congratulate them!!
The proper and most accurate demonym for a citizen of the United States is "United Statian" (sometimes spelled United Stateian). The United States is a country – not a continent. The term American is ambiguous since citizens from Argentina, Panama, Canada, Costa Rica, Mexico, Brazil and other countries in the Americas are also Americans. Citizens of Russian are called Russian. Citizens of Canada are called Canadians. Citizens of South Africa are called South Africans. It is the same with other countries: England - English, Congo – Congolese, France – French, Switzerland – Swiss, Panama – Panamanian, and so forth. The United States is the only country I know of that arrogantly lays claim to be called by an entire continent (in this case, two continents) and routinely omits their country of origin.
Correction: ...(sometimes spelled United Statesian)
Someone from the US is American. End of story. Don't disrespect the English Language like that.
Typical USian arrogance haha
America is a continent.
The United States Of America is a country
American are the people of The United States Of America
North-American are the people from Mexico, Canada and United States Of America.
Center-American and South-American are the people from such regeions.
The United States Of America!
I 100% AGREE with the final paragraph as spoken: "We strongly believe that U.S. American is a fair demonym for the people of the United States of America; fair for them and fair for the continent inhabitants."
U.S. American is the MOST APPROPRIATE way to describe the USA's Demonym versus any other way (In My Opinion)!!! It helps let me know what everyone is referring to between the country and The Continent!!!
Way To Go and Congratulations to the Author(s) of this website!!!