I'd like to say a few things as someone who would like to be somewhat of a descriptivist linguist, let me try and explain why most native English speakers call the country The United States of America, just america:
So in 1492 or whatever the fuck year Christopher Columbus discovered america 500 years after the Icelandic vikings and told ALL OF EUROPE
Fast forward some 500 years later and today we have a dispute over what "America" is.
While WonderWhy has a great video on this, (Great youtube channel) it all boils down to how the continents are defined. To most native english speakers, there 6-7 Continent we really accept
Africa
Antarctica
Australia
Asia
Europe (or combine the last two for "Eurasia", which is why there are 6-7)
and the topic of debate,
North and
South America
They are separate continents in English, collectively the Americas.
In other langues (Im saying langue as a simplification and using it to what is the usual view)
-writing more-
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Edited 8 years ago
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· 8 years ago
they are considered one continent,
America.
Which is where the confusion starts, because in english America is a country and in Spanish it is a continent.
Also, there is only 1 country in the western hemisphere with the word "America" in its name
The United States of America
So, neither side is wrong...
.
.
As long as we're debating in both langues because in english America is the country, and The america(s) are/is the continent(s)
And if we were debating in just spanish, than it is unambiguously the continent.
So, *glares at the person who made this post* *Glares at americans* *glares at myself* how about we learn to understand each other langues instead of barating people for what you consider to be correct langusitically, ESPECIALLY IN ENGLISH.
To nerd out a little, there is a difference between langues like french, and langues like english, and one of the biggest ones is that french has an offical organization that approves words/can make up words -writing more-
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· 8 years ago
if they so choose, and while its not legally binding, its highly respected. So, in french, there are prescriptist linguist, people who make langue.
In english, no such organization exist, and all dictionaries or similar pieces of text are all descrpitivism, written by linguistic descriptivist, or people who describe langue, not make it. Even the oxford dictionary is merely a describer of langue, not a body that approves words or makes new words. So, no has any authority over the english langue, and if something is widely used, you better get used to it, because its likely in the dictionary.
I dont know how spanish works, but I know thats what it is in english. So, if you're speaking english, to a native english speaker, America is the country, not the continent.
AND ENGLISH SPEAKERS *glares at self*
if you're speaking spanish to a native spanish speaker, the continent is America and the country is the USA
Haha good analysis! Onle little correction, Columbus couldn't tell anyone avout the new continent because he died thinking he was in the indias (asia) as the farthest away he got was the islands in centroamerica (i don't think there's an english translation for that? Centre america doesn't exist?) (he was kind of a dumb fuck, he also saw some walruses and thought they were mermaids). The one who noticed it was a new continent and gabe it a name was Americo Vespuzzio
Actually isn't American the official word? Like un recognized?
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· 8 years ago
Our country is the United States of America. A common shortened version is America. I know it's probably difficult to understand that a big place can share a name with a smaller place inside it. Hopefully word doesn't get out about New York, New York, I don't know if the world could handle it.
Well i would guess it depends on the language, whether or not there is another denominarion for sonething that is from the us, in spanish, for example, we woul say "la bandera estadounidense" which would kind of translate as "the unitedstater flag" bc if we said "la bandera americana" (the american flag) in our language it is most probably referring to the continent
This post is linguistically inaccurate and overly complicated. America is short hand for the United States of America, United States is short hand for the United States of America. People all over the world (from first hand experience) know what you mean when you say you're American. If anyone is referring to the continent they say either North America, South America or the Americas. (Also no one refers to Mexico as the United States)
Wikipedia, Webster and other reliable sources back this up.
Did you even read my comment? I said they're not United they are still states but not physically connected.... they're not part of the contiguous United states. Do some research of your own before telling someone they're wrong. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contiguous_United_States
That I would not have down voted. It is a very common misconception that they are territories and the distinction is important because the United States has states which include Hawaii and Alaska and offshore territories like Guam and Puerto Rico.
Yes but you are missing the word United. It's not only used as in United we stand but United as connected. I mean you can look it up yourself and see that I am right when I say they're like offshore territories. The word I was looking for was contiguous
Depends on where you live, i was always taught it was only one continent and that what you are saying where subcontinental divisions, and so are latin america and anglosaxon america
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· 8 years ago
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· 8 years ago
See above...
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· 8 years ago
English=America the country
Spanish=America the continent (north+south America)
Cause Mexico is also a United States, but it's United States of Mexico
So to be correct just say USA
"United Mexican States Estados Unidos Mexicanos" :P
So in 1492 or whatever the fuck year Christopher Columbus discovered america 500 years after the Icelandic vikings and told ALL OF EUROPE
Fast forward some 500 years later and today we have a dispute over what "America" is.
While WonderWhy has a great video on this, (Great youtube channel) it all boils down to how the continents are defined. To most native english speakers, there 6-7 Continent we really accept
Africa
Antarctica
Australia
Asia
Europe (or combine the last two for "Eurasia", which is why there are 6-7)
and the topic of debate,
North and
South America
They are separate continents in English, collectively the Americas.
In other langues (Im saying langue as a simplification and using it to what is the usual view)
-writing more-
America.
Which is where the confusion starts, because in english America is a country and in Spanish it is a continent.
Also, there is only 1 country in the western hemisphere with the word "America" in its name
The United States of America
So, neither side is wrong...
.
.
As long as we're debating in both langues because in english America is the country, and The america(s) are/is the continent(s)
And if we were debating in just spanish, than it is unambiguously the continent.
So, *glares at the person who made this post* *Glares at americans* *glares at myself* how about we learn to understand each other langues instead of barating people for what you consider to be correct langusitically, ESPECIALLY IN ENGLISH.
To nerd out a little, there is a difference between langues like french, and langues like english, and one of the biggest ones is that french has an offical organization that approves words/can make up words -writing more-
In english, no such organization exist, and all dictionaries or similar pieces of text are all descrpitivism, written by linguistic descriptivist, or people who describe langue, not make it. Even the oxford dictionary is merely a describer of langue, not a body that approves words or makes new words. So, no has any authority over the english langue, and if something is widely used, you better get used to it, because its likely in the dictionary.
AND ENGLISH SPEAKERS *glares at self*
if you're speaking spanish to a native spanish speaker, the continent is America and the country is the USA
P.S. Columbus discovered America in 1492
'murcia
Learn the diffrence.
*flies away on bald eagle*
*national anthem plays*
Wikipedia, Webster and other reliable sources back this up.
Spanish=America the continent (north+south America)
USA = America