4 ms·

This again? I think your point is appropriate when speaking Spanish, Portuguese (EDIT: not Portuguese), etc. However, in common English (no, not just in the US)

This again? I think your point is appropriate when speaking Spanish, Portuguese (EDIT: not Portuguese), etc. However, in common English (no, not just in the US) the word "America" more often refers to the USA. Languages don't use the same or derivative words for many other countries as well.

theredbox 6y ago
Can confirm. Eastern european here. America refers to the US of A. If we want to be explicit about the other america we say South America.
- leto_ii 6y ago
  How about the parts of North America that are not the US?
  - ddoolin 6y ago
    Mexico, Canada, and North America.
TMWNN 6y ago
Not even in Portuguese. "Americano" specifically means "someone from the United States". Spanish is the only major European language in which its local equivalent of "America/American" does not refer specifically to the USA.
- vinay427 6y ago
  Thank you, apologies and I've edited my comment.
rm445 6y ago
That's bad and wrong, you should think past your familiarity for a minute and logically not do it. This shouldn't be mixed up with the other common case which is often discussed, 'American' as the demonym for people and things from the USA. That isn't quite as bad (though it still annoys other people from elsewhere in the Americas) because it's using the name of the superset - Americans, from the USA, are also Americans, from the continent. Whereas, when "America" (the USA) does something, it doesn't necessarily mean all of America does it. The USA is a subset of America, not a superset or the only entry. Language isn't always logical, but if you won't draw the line at something so clearly backwards as using the whole continent's name for the actions of one country, you can only expect it will start an argument every time.
- vinay427 6y ago
  I disagree with the premise here that "America" describes the continents of North and South America. That is in and of itself the issue here, so I don't agree that the USA is a subset of America because I would refer to the continents as "the Americas" or similar.

theredbox 6y ago

Can confirm. Eastern european here. America refers to the US of A. If we want to be explicit about the other america we say South America.

leto_ii 6y ago
How about the parts of North America that are not the US?
- ddoolin 6y ago
  Mexico, Canada, and North America.

TMWNN 6y ago

Not even in Portuguese. "Americano" specifically means "someone from the United States". Spanish is the only major European language in which its local equivalent of "America/American" does not refer specifically to the USA.

vinay427 6y ago
Thank you, apologies and I've edited my comment.

rm445 6y ago

That's bad and wrong, you should think past your familiarity for a minute and logically not do it. This shouldn't be mixed up with the other common case which is often discussed, 'American' as the demonym for people and things from the USA. That isn't quite as bad (though it still annoys other people from elsewhere in the Americas) because it's using the name of the superset - Americans, from the USA, are also Americans, from the continent. Whereas, when "America" (the USA) does something, it doesn't necessarily mean all of America does it. The USA is a subset of America, not a superset or the only entry. Language isn't always logical, but if you won't draw the line at something so clearly backwards as using the whole continent's name for the actions of one country, you can only expect it will start an argument every time.

vinay427 6y ago
I disagree with the premise here that "America" describes the continents of North and South America. That is in and of itself the issue here, so I don't agree that the USA is a subset of America because I would refer to the continents as "the Americas" or similar.