Well, everybody born in the american continent is technically “american” too, including Central and South America. Is there a specific term in english for these people?
Edit: Thanks for all your answers, especially the wholesome ones and those patient enough to explain it thoroughly. Since we (South Americans) and you (North Americans) use different models/conventions of continent boundaries, it makes sense for you to go by “Americans”, while it doesn’t for us.
'Murican 🇺🇸🍔🍺🏈🗽
FUCK YEAH!! 🔫🔫🔫🇱🇷🇱🇷🇱🇷🇱🇷✝️✝️✝️🦅🦅🦅🦅
(I’m from NJ)
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Yes sir! 🍟
🪨🇺🇸🦅
There’s not a clear and conscience alternative to “American.” If you’re trying to differentiate us from other people from the Americas you’d just say US Citizen. And while yes the entirety of this hemisphere is some variation of America be it North, Central, or South the other countries here have distinct names and we really don’t.
At the risk of sounding like a typical US asshole, here goes nothing. This is how I’ve explained it to friends from Europe and it seemed to help.
If Brazil had decided to go by the name “United States of Brazil” we would still call them Brazilians because there is another country with the title “United States” that also exists. Similar to how we call people from the Peoples Republic of China, Chinese. We don’t call them “People’s Republicans” because that’s a title not a unique identifier or name. What if that same country decided to go by the name the Peoples Republic of Asia instead, would we call them Peoples Republicans or would we call them Asians?
The title “United States” is telling you that this area is united together and the borders represent states, not country’s. “America” tells you where those united states are, the continent of America. The term “American” is generalized and honestly doesn’t accurately represent the vast cultural differences within the United States. The states often have their own rights and laws separate from the US government and also unique cultures. Ideally we would be called by our states name for its citizens like Californian or New Yorker, for example. Similar to how you would refer to people from Europe as European unless you wanted to be specific to Italy, then you’d say Italian. But sometimes you need a general term, hence “American.”
All that being said, it is problematic and a massive reminder of this country’s bloodthirsty and genocidal colonization of a large part of North America. Looking at the country’s past shows that they were very much trying to also get central and south America as part of the United States. What better way to propagandize and make it look like they had every right to the rest of the Americas than to make it appear as though this country or that country already was America and therefore should be part of these United States? But however problematic it is this is the name we have now, for better or worse.
As an addendum of sorts. We Indigenous Americans would often much rather be called by the names of our sovereign Nations yet everyone calls us Native American. Why is that? Food for thought that might help with understanding the problematic struggle we have here. It’s not simply us as citizens that perpetuate the issue, it’s a global colonization effort whether the others realize they are participating or not. (Spoiler: they realize)
tldr: because colonization + United States is a title not a name
First off, thank you for your great response.
And yeah, I kinda get that “United States” is just a title, but in my native language (portuguese) we have a specific word for americans: “estadunidense”, which basically means “person born in the USA”
I was just wondering if there was a similar word in english that could be used specifically to these people, just like we have in portuguese. But again, thanks for your answer.
Also, fun fact: Brazil was actually called “United States of Brazil” for a short period, and our flag looked like a copy of yours, but in yellow and green. But then our king (thankfully) decided to go just by “Brazil”
That’s so interesting! I didn’t know that Brazil was also a “United States.”
I wish that there was a name for US Citizens in the same way but with English being such a shit show combination of too many different languages, I don’t know if that’ll be possible. The only way I see it happening is if the US just “adopts” a word from someone else’s culture, that’s usually how English gets a new word or term.
The official name of Mexico is United Mexican States.
I didn’t know that Brazil was also a “United States.”
They’re not; they were using that as an example. They’re actually officially called the Federative Republic of Brazil (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazil?wprov=sfla1).
Edit: They used to be, though. See below comments.
Yes, we used to be.
Source: I’m Brazilian
Huh… I stand corrected.
Sorry about that. 👍
No problem bro, most people here don’t know that because it lasted for about 4 days or so. Our first president liked our flag and national anthem from the imperial era, so he said it was bullshit to change them. That’s why this “Republic of the United States of Brazil” didn’t catch on (thankfully), and got forgotten.
Appreciate the education. 👍
One way around it is just to say “I’m from the US”. I know it’s not quite what you asked but based on what everyone else has said about why we’re simply “Americans” then I suggest this as an alternative. Also like they said, referring to yourself by state of residence works too, for instance “Texan” or “Californian” since they’re basically just as well known as the US itself at this point.
Can’t spell “estadunidense” without “dense”, can you?
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No problem, I’m always happy when someone is interested in learning more! I’m Muscogee Creek, specifically Thlopthlocco but Creek or Muscogee is preferable and easier for everyone lol. I’d recommend some books. One is not too long and it’s the one I would start with, it will help reframe a person’s understanding of who indigenous people are which I think is essential. Otherwise all further learning is being done behind a false idea of who Indigenous people are. Something I remember most from this book was along the lines of, “for many people Indians don’t exist and if they do exist it’s outside of their preconceived notion of who they are so to them they aren’t real Indians. They have placed themselves as the experts on what it is to be Indian.” The books, All the Real Indians Died Off: And 20 Other Myths about Native Americans by Dina Gilio-Whitaker and Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz. The second would be,
by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
Id you’d like something quick and dirty online the War of 1812 was also the
, the first one. The Northern Creeks, my people, were fighting against being colonized further by the US, we didn’t want to be Americans or give away anymore of our country. Jackson, the president on the $20, and his army
some still living and used our skin to make leather reigns for their cavalry horses. They then went to a nearby village slaughtered who they could and locked the remaining women, children, and elderly in their homes and burned them alive. He saved one baby, a boy, who he
, which is what he wrote in a letter to his wife. He meant to make an example of how we could be “civilized” and was going to send the Creek boy to West Point but the political climate had changed. Americans didn’t want to see Indians “civilized” anymore they wanted us gone. He was never going to be able to pass the Indian Removal Act if people saw we were just like them so he sent the Creek boy to be a saddler instead. He died of TB not long after. Then Jackson sent thousands of us, starving and freezing, on a death march across the country to Oklahoma. (I had links in here for you. For the books and the pages about the war but they didn’t seem to work. It’s an easy wiki dive though.)
Totally more than you asked for but I got on a roll. It’s rare someone asks so I try to post as much as I can so people don’t have to go far to learn a bit more of the real history of the US. It’s important we know so we all can heal and move forward, together.
I’m Canadian, so I didn’t learn about Andrew Jackson at all, and only was aware of his existence because he’s on some money or something. But WOW what an ASSHOLE!!! Imagine how fucking full of yourself you’d have to be to wipe out a whole village, find one tiny sole survivor, and then give him to your child to be a fucking pet.
Unbelievable!!! And then to act like you’re some kind of benevolent savior when you were the cause of the goddamn genocide to begin with. I can’t even.
I’m sorry this happened to your ancestors. I’m sorry all of it happened. People are horrible.
Edit: wait, this was the guy responsible for the Trail of Tears as well?! Wasn’t he the inspiration for Hitler?!? Holy fuck.
What the fuck, America!!!
Yea Jackson was a real piece of work. And yes you are also correct that he was a massive inspiration for Hitler, most Americans don’t know that. Hitler would quote portions of Jackson’s speech to Congress about the Indian Removal Act during his own speech about the Jewish people. In fact, Hitler didn’t actually come up with very much on his own in terms of the annihilation of the Jewish people and conquer of Europe. In Jackson’s speech to Congress he called it the “the final solution to the Indian problem” which should sound quite familiar to those who know WWII history. Everything from ghettos, work camps, mass extermination, medical experiments, stolen children, sterilization, and death marches were straight out of Jackson’s playbook.
In one of Hitlers speeches he says that he wanted to “make Germany greater than even the great American empire which had succeeded in creating a perfect society for God’s chosen race, chaining any of the savage native inhabitants still alive in camps to work and starve.” He would also go on to say, “the East will be our Redmen and the Volga our grand Mississippi.” When Nazi Germany did finally invade Poland the German newspapers quoted their head general (iirc), “Go East young men, go East!” His plan wasn’t just war, it was settler colonialism à la USA style and all of his top generals were aware.
If anyone is ever in any doubt about how horrifying the conquest of hundreds of Indigenous Nations really was just remember this. As absolutely and indescribably evil as Hitler was, he wasn’t completely successful, Jackson and the United States were. (In regard to the conquest of a continent. Genocide is genocide, there’s no competition for the greatest evil this world has to offer.)
Saving your response because I really want to read these. I love it when I come across a post like this. Teach me all the things I didn’t know that I need to know! Healing together is the only way that we can move forward in a way that is actually progressive. Thank you for sharing.
If Brazil had decided to go by the name “United States of Brazil” we would still call them Brazilians because there is another country with the title “United States” that also exists.
You dont have to make up an example. Mexico’s real name is United states of Mexico, and we call it mexico and Mexicans.
Source: am mexican
(And I hate Americans as much as the average person)
I would argue against the annexation on central and south American and this would be purely a pedantic note.they want a hegemonic influence but not the responsibility of dominion over latin america. For instance They had backed an early coupe against mx that dethroned French backed mx emperor and conquered mx not too long after. They did not annex mexico. They backed a coupe to separate panama from its previous governing body, wrote extremely factorable terms for the canal, did not annex panama. Backed revolt against Spain in Puerto Rico and Cuba and didn’t annex either. Backed militants in Nicaragua and didn’t annex. Basically they want the resources but not want to build and maintain the roads, schools, police. Which is in my opinion is different than a complete land grab.
What do you call someone from Panama?
Panamanians IIRC
“vast cultural differences within the United States” 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂🤣😂😂
In Australia we call them cunts.
You call everyone Cunts though.
That’s if we like you, if we don’t then mate, if we want to physically hurt you with a word, we call you champ.
I’m from the US. I’m familiar with the idea of “Southern Hospitality”.
Look at this cunt out here with all the knowledge, bloody legend!
In Australia, you call your mates cunt and cunts mate
Not just down under, if I call you “friend” then I’m pissed
Or Seppos.
For septics?
Or skip the rhyming slang and just say yanks. But usually not to their face, we’re toi friendly for that. :P
Calling an American a yank isn’t an insult to US. I know it’s meant as an insult from some cultures but it’s absolutely not insulting to an American lol
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Rude, but fair…
I knew one that was called “Doug”. I’m not sure how much of a generalisation one can make from that though, but it seemed to work for him.
That settles it. People from the unites states shall henceforth be called “Doug”
Sweet. I already have a cat named pork chop!
And I have a The Beets concert tour shirt.
Meanwhile I’m over here banging on a trashcan and drumming on a street light
I sure could go for some more allowance.
Are the Doug’s Funny?
Who let the Dougs out?
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We aren’t talking about the Doug with the wife that’s way out of his league.
Wait, I thought Dougs were the side characters from books who’s names are never relevant.
“American” is the official name, though throughout history attempts have been made to find alternatives. You can read more on the Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demonyms_for_the_United_States
The only officially and commonly used alternative for referring to the people of the United States in English is to refer to them as citizens of that country.[18] Another alternative is US-American,[19] also spelled US American.
Several single-word English alternatives for American have been suggested over time, especially Usonian, popularized by architect Frank Lloyd Wright,[20] and the nonce term United-Statesian.[21]
Writer H. L. Mencken collected a number of proposals from between 1789 and 1939, finding terms including Columbian, Columbard, Fredonian, Frede, Unisian, United Statesian, Colonican, Appalacian, Usian, Washingtonian, Usonian, Uessian, U-S-ian, Uesican, and United Stater.[22] Names for broader categories include terms such as Western Hemispherian, New Worlder, and North Atlantican.[23][24][25]
Nevertheless, no alternative to “American” is common in English.[18]
Nonce term?? Does that mean something different where you are?
That sentence stumped me too, really weird wording. Apparently it means “rare, seldom used” in US English.
Edit: just checked Urban Dictionary and welp, I didn’t foresee the British slang meaning o_O
I’m british, so you can see my confusion!
I’m American, but I understand the slang meaning of nonce, and yeah… it’s a nonce term.
Usonian
I’m definitely going to start using Usonian. It seems the most natural. We probably can’t use Colombian because… you know…that’s a country already haha
Probably a good idea to put some distance between the US and the tainted legacy of Christopher Columbus, too.
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Yankee (or Yank) is a colloquial term for Americans in English; cognates can be found in other languages. Within the United States, Yankee usually refers to people specifically from New England or the Northern United States, though it has been applied to Americans in general since the 18th century, especially by the British.[26] The earliest recorded use in this context is in a 1784 letter by Horatio Nelson.[26]
I might start calling Americans Yankees
You will almost certainly annoy or piss off some Southerners (Those of the United States south of the Mason-Dixon Line, that is), then.
So definitely do it.
If you call people in the Southern US a Yankee it won’t end well for you.
Some British guy said something like,“I bet the yanks won’t like that” (Whatever it was, I can’t remember). I replied,“Hell, the confederates won’t like it much either” He was very confused.
Anyone that takes offense to being called a Yank is someone that would’ve been happily fighting for the Confederates during the Civil War. So fuck 'em.
Not necessarily - there’s also a MLB team with this name, so folks from different regions of the US may get pissed off/confused.
It just sounds weird to me personally, but I know it’s not an uncommon term in places like the UK/EU & I don’t take offense.
Depends on where the person using the term is from I guess?
You say that like I go outside
i invite them to travel to europe and try
I prefer yankers thank you very much
And Aussies take that another step further and say “Seppo” which is short for “Septic Tank”, which is rhyming slang for “Yank”.
Do it, it’s probably the best option really. Feel free to call us Yanks too. Unlike the others proposed it’s one where any of us will know what you mean
The proper term is American.
everybody born in the american continent is technically “american” too
The implied context of your question is in English.. In the English-speaking world, there is no American continent. People from North America are North Americans; people from South America are South Americans. People from the United States of America are American. There is no ambiguity. There is also no good term to collectively describe everyone from the Americas but there’s also rarely any need to discuss that.
I consider terms such as “USonian” and whatnot to be highly offensive. Nobody should tell a people what they are allowed to call themselves in their own language just because the same word means something else in another language. It would be like telling French people they’re not allowed to call their arm a bras because it refers to an article of clothing in English. Other languages where America means something else already have their own terms for people from the US. English, however, has no real ambiguity except that caused by those trying to shame Americans for calling themselves Americans.
“highly offensive” lol wow chill out bud. It’s weird but doesn’t bother me at all. Let em call me whatever they want in whatever language they have.
Telling people what they’re allowed to be offended by is usually a bad choice.
Let em call me whatever they want in whatever language they have.
That’s not what this is about though, which is precisely the point. In other languages, “America” means something else, and they all have other terms to refer to people from the US. The whole discussion is about what Americans should be called in English.
It’s ridiculous to give such weight and care to silly things like labels.
I don’t care what they want to call me in English. My comment was intended to read as dismissive of the entire conversation.
In the English-speaking world, there is no American continent.
I didn’t know that, thanks.
Nobody should tell a people what they are allowed to call themselves in their own language
Look man, I’m not american and I didn’t ask the question to create some debate about the ethics or whatsoever. I just wanted to know if there was a specific word for that.
In the English-speaking world, there is no American continent.
I didn’t know that, thanks.
Eh, I agree common and mostly unambiguous usage is that ‘America’ refers to USA, but even in English it feels incongruous sometimes.
Just to be clear, I didn’t think that you were being offensive. It came across entirely as a good faith question from a foreigner, but it ties into (ironically arrogant) advocacy from some foreigners who call Americans arrogant for using the term American.
People from North America are North Americans; people from South America are South Americans. People from the United States of America are American. There is no ambiguity.
Thank you for eloquently responding to the pedantry underlying OP’s question.
It would be like telling French people they’re not allowed to call their arm a bras because it refers to an article of clothing in English.
And yet I’ve seen so many Americans chastising Spanish speaking people for saying the color black in their own language.
In the English-speaking world, there is no American continent.
You mean, in USA world.
No, it’s the entire English-speaking world, which actually makes sense since the practice originated with the British Empire long before American independence.
In the English-speaking world, there is no American continent.
Not true. North and South America were made up by the government to brainwash people. It’s a conspiracy. There are only 4 continents.
Sure, 4 out continents, but what about incontinence.
This is about language, not geology. Doesn’t really matter how it came to be that way, North and South America are effectively treated as separate continents and very rarely referred to as a whole, and you saying “but actually” doesn’t change that.
Words can be coined. America is a continent. There, if the word didn’t exist before, it does now.
You’re right that words can be coined and their usage changed, but you seem to be misinformed about how that happens. You just deciding we’re gonna do it this way now in a random thread on lemmy is not gonna cut it, sorry
Yankee, or Yank.
How to be murdered by someone from Boston or a southerner who’s still not over the civil war
Yankees are only people from the North East US, like New York. Calling someone from California a Yankee would be laughable.
In the US, sure.
Outside, a Yankee is a Yankee, even if they’re cosplaying a ghost while standing in front of a burning cross and waving a confederate flag. We don’t care enough to ask in which state they had the misfortune of being born. 🤷♂️
It’s like calling someone in the UK English even though they live in Scotland. You sound stupid but yeah only those people care
That’s a good analogy because that also happens all the time.
Yeah, but British is a thing, and everyone knows about it (the British made damn well sure, back when they were the main global bully)… American, on the other hand, doesn’t work, because it refers to the whole damn continent, not just the USA… so if we want to refer to the citizens of the US Yankee / Yank is about the only option we have; not the best, maybe, but probably the least worst.
In my experience living in Ireland and traveling to other English-speaking countries you’re at least as likely to be called an “American” as you are “yank.”
The reason why is that it dates back to the British Empire and the fact that British subjects lived in the “American” colonies for at least 200 years before they gained independence. By that time the usage in the British Empire, of referring to people from the “American” colonies as “Americans,” was pretty well baked into informal English usage and it never really died out.
Linguistics doesn’t tell us how language should work in a prescriptive sense, it just tells us why it works and how it’s used and why every language we know of is full of logical inconsistencies, especially English.
As a Californian I will embrace any non-american who calls me Yankee assuming it’s followed by some Sherman posting.
Only in the US. In the rest of the English-speaking world many people don’t know or don’t care about these differences and it’s just a blanket term for all Americans.
Only one country on those countries has the word “America” in its name.
It’s commonly understood by all but the most pedantic that “americans” refers exclusively to inhabitants of the USA.
So they should call them American Americans, or Americericans for short; like I talk about English English because calling it British English implies Scots talk the same way.
;-)
Lowkey solid answer
I’ve never had to differentiate before like I have in this conversation. I think I would say “US Americans” since it seems to adopt other languages calling us something like United Statesans without creating an odd word like Statesans.
I think I would say “US Americans”
And I will reply YOU Americans
They could call themselves “States of America”
Are you suggesting that “united states” implies something like the triple point of water?
Why not England’s English?
North and South America are so big and diverse that there’s really no usage for the term “American” being used to refer to everyone on both continents. US just took the term for themselves and no one really cared enough to complain
Spanish speaking nations complain. They don’t mean USA when they say Americano
Okay, but most people in the US wouldn’t call themselves Americano.
Well, no. That’s a kind of coffee.
Holup being from Spanish America I promise you Americano does in fact mean American, despite all complaints.
Que chucha, acá siempre usamos estadounidense, norte americano, o derechamente gringo. Jamás he escuchado a nadie decir americano para referirse específicamente a los de EEUU.
Excepto la ropa americana, pero ese es otro contexto cultural que no tiene anda que ver con la discusión.
Jamás he escuchado a nadie decir americano para referirse específicamente a los de EEUU.
I have in Mexico. Strangely “estadounidense” is not something a Mexican would call themselves.
Not using EEUU?
What are you talking about? all my life it’s been “estadounidense”. Americano was always politically charged and used by those promoting globalization.
Now this is the most interesting comment chain so far for me. TIL
Estadounidenses
Thats Mexico I think.
“estados unidense” = states united (Spanish and Portuguese often put the adjective after the affected noun)
estados unidos*
Mexico’s official name is Los Estados Unidos Mexicanos. I don’t think that would work well.
Yeah but estadounidense is literally the spanish word for someone from the USA.
It would be Estadounidense Americano or Estadounidense Mexicano
No, it wouldn’t be. In Spanish North Americans are “estadounidenses” and Mexican are, “mexicanos”.
Language rules (in English at least) are descriptive not prescriptive. They try to explain why Americans are called Americans, not determine what they’re called. They’re called Americans, whether or not it’s logical, or the ideal descriptor, or fits with other names, that’s what they’re called.
Also most English speaking countries don’t have an “American” continent, they have North and South America as separate continents, so you would say someone is North or South American to refer to the continent, not just American. Similar to how some people consider Eurasia a single continent but very few people would identify as Eurasian.
When referring to the entire continent, I’ve heard “The Americas” in English.
Just a reminder: Central America is another division of the American continent.
Um
AKSHUALLY
It’s debatable that North and South America are separate continents. I prefer the continental plate system but some countries literally teach that there is an “American” continent that includes both landmasses.
They also typically merge Europe and Asia, which is absolutely the right thing to do regardless.
The reason you have this disagreement is that there simply isn’t a good, concise definition of “continent,” and because at the end of the day it only matters for semantics and racism.
So the number of continents in the world is between 5 to 7, all debatably correct, depending on who you ask.
Possibly even 4 if you want to get particularly spicy and say any large, connected landmass is a single continent, merging Africa, Europe, and Asia into a single entity.
Which is also a more valid take than “Europe is its own continent because white people live there.”
Edit: I forgot to mention the Indian homies are more deserving of a continent than Europe, thanks to having their own tectonic plate.
Tl;DR the world has 4-8 continents, but it is typically taught as anywhere from 5-7, it just depends on how actually consistent you want to be with your rules for what defines a continent, and 7 is just straight up the scientifically worst option unless India is recognized as a separate continent from Eurasia.
Yeah that’s kinda my point haha. Continents are made up and don’t mean anything. If you’re going by plates then there’s dozens of continents.
A US Citizen.
A “US-American” if you need to be very clear. But most people just say “American”.
To add a bit of context, it isn’t arrogance or something that drives us to use “American” as a demonym, it’s just the linguistic norm. I don’t find any of the other names offensive (except seppo, but that one is meant to offend me), but most of us would probably do a double take at the term “USican” or “USian.” Virtually all of us would accept Yankee.
Further reading: the full name of Mexico is the United Mexican States. If we wanted to be pedantic, we could say that using the reference to the US would be ambiguous, as they too are technically a US.
Wasn’t Yankee historical origin as a derogatory term?
I like to call them Muricans. Sure, it may sound super similar to “Americans”, but it’s different enough to sorta make things clearer.
I’m joking. This idea is horrible.
