"America" is now offensive to N and S America

[Lamb]

...and a rather silly contention as well. The United States of America is the only nation in "the Americas" to have the word "America" as part of its official name, and it bears that name because it's taken from the name of one of early "discoverers" of this land--Amerigo Vespucci.

When we look at the country on which you chose to make your case for a name change (South Africa), none of these kinds of reasons apply. In addition, if "United Statesians" is your idea of a more sensible name, that logic would call for a bunch of other nations' citizens to be renamed "People's Republicans," "Transitional Islamic Staters," "Commonwealthers," "Co-operative Republicans," "Democratic Socialist Republicans," and lots and lots of just "Republicans." Yes, those are all the actual parallels to other nation states.

Exactly!

I live in the United States of America. That's why I can say that I live in America and I am an American. It's actually IN our name. We aren't JUST the United States. We are the USA.

 

[tango]

An imaginative "Australia" model that you've created, but you need not imagine a north vs south continent. Have a look at Africa.

Africa has many nations in it, one is named "South Africa". What do people from South Africa call themselves? Do they insist on being called "African" and "Africans" to the exclusion of all other Africans from the many nations of Africa? No? That's right, the answer is no. People from South Africa call themselves "South Africans" which seems fair enough, right? So why can't people from the United States call themselves "United Statesians" Of course that is a rather unpleasant sounding name, perhaps a better one could be found - maybe "USAers" or "United States Americans" the latter being adequate but a little long, one could try "USAn" since that would be adding the n from "America[n]" to the abbreviation for the "United States of America". In any case. Australia would divide more naturally into East/West than North/South. Australia has a state called "South Australia" and its inhabitants are usually called South Australians.

Of course calling someone who hails from South Africa an "African" would also be entirely correct. It would be akin to calling someone "British" regardless of whether they came from England, Scotland or Wales. You might as well fuss over whether someone from Texas can only be called a Texan - they are from Texas, they are from the USA, they are from North America, they are from America. Any or all are equally true. Noting they come from a suburb just south of Houston is equally true.

Perhaps we should be done with nice easy terminology and demand people come up with ever-longer and more precise terms to define exactly where they originated, and never mind any confusion arising from the length of the names required to differentiate identically named hamlets from a dozen different states and countries.

We might as well respond to "where are you from" with "you've probably never heard of it", unless we come from somewhere very well known. But hey, at least nobody could possibly have any claim to be offended so it must be a good thing.

 

[MoreCoffee]

Of course calling someone who hails from South Africa an "African" would also be entirely correct. It would be akin to calling someone "British" regardless of whether they came from England, Scotland or Wales. You might as well fuss over whether someone from Texas can only be called a Texan - they are from Texas, they are from the USA, they are from North America, they are from America. Any or all are equally true. Noting they come from a suburb just south of Houston is equally true.

Perhaps we should be done with nice easy terminology and demand people come up with ever-longer and more precise terms to define exactly where they originated, and never mind any confusion arising from the length of the names required to differentiate identically named hamlets from a dozen different states and countries.

We might as well respond to "where are you from" with "you've probably never heard of it", unless we come from somewhere very well known. But hey, at least nobody could possibly have any claim to be offended so it must be a good thing.

Well then, let us call people from the USA "USA people". Very civilised and not even slightly inaccurate.

 

[Lees]

Of course calling someone who hails from South Africa an "African" would also be entirely correct. It would be akin to calling someone "British" regardless of whether they came from England, Scotland or Wales. You might as well fuss over whether someone from Texas can only be called a Texan - they are from Texas, they are from the USA, they are from North America, they are from America. Any or all are equally true. Noting they come from a suburb just south of Houston is equally true.

Perhaps we should be done with nice easy terminology and demand people come up with ever-longer and more precise terms to define exactly where they originated, and never mind any confusion arising from the length of the names required to differentiate identically named hamlets from a dozen different states and countries.

We might as well respond to "where are you from" with "you've probably never heard of it", unless we come from somewhere very well known. But hey, at least nobody could possibly have any claim to be offended so it must be a good thing.

Perhaps no one should say what part of the world they are from. They should just say I am an earthling. Sounds foolish...I know.

In Texas you wold be amazed that many identify they are from 'East Texas' or 'South Texas' or 'Central Texas' or 'West Texas' or North Texas. Strange isn't it?

When one says they are from 'America', they identify as a nation. When one says they are from the 'United States' they identify with their state in that nation.

Lees

 

[tango]

Well then, let us call people from the USA "USA people". Very civilised and not even slightly inaccurate.

Or let's just stop messing with the language and looking for new ways to be offended by something?

 

[MoreCoffee]

Or let's just stop messing with the language and looking for new ways to be offended by something?