Why does the US call itself ALONE"America"?

by JH 71 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  Sara Annie

  What a silly question.

  People are commonly referred to by a derivative form of the name of the country from which they hail. The name of the country in question is The United States of America. Naturally, the derivative chosen was "American". It's not some sort of declaration of continental superiority, and it's not a slight to those in other countries on the American continents, it's simply a lot easier to say than "United Statesian" or "USA-ite". It's analogous to those from England referring to themselves as "British", when the British Isles technically include Ireland and Scotland as well.

  Must everything be a conspiracy?
• 

  JH

  Still in my mind, America is a continent and United States is a country.
  

  So Being called OF, means inside OF, so smaller than.

  America is a continent of which The US is in.

  So when Americans say here in America, it could mean Anywhere from Canada to south America.

  If the name was United States of America of the World, well could they say we are the world?

  Of course not

  Get it?

  The confusion lies with the fact that your country has 3 names...

  1. United States

  2 United States of America

  3. America

  All three are used, but only one is official.
• 

  JH

  WE ARE THE WORLD
  U.S.A. for Africa
  
  There comes a time when we need a certain call
  When the world must come together as one
  There are people dying
  Oh, and it's time to lend a hand to life
  The greatest gift of all
  
  We can't go on pretending day by day
  That someone, somehow will soon make a change
  We're all a part of God's great big family
  And the truth - you know love is all we need
  
  ( CHORUS )
  We are the world, we are the children
  We are the ones who make a brighter day
  so let's start giving
  There's a choice we're making
  We're saving our own lives
  It's true we'll make a better day
  Just you and me
  
  Well, send'em you your heart
  So they know that someone cares
  And their lives will be stronger and free
  As God has shown us
  By turning stone to bread
  And so we all must lend a helping hand
  
  ( REPEAT CHORUS )
  
  When you're down and out
  There seems no hope at all
  But if you just believe
  There's no way we can fall
  Well, well, well, let's realize
  That one change can only come
  When we stand together as one
  
  ( REPEAT CHORUS AND FADE )
• 

  expatbrit

  ( REPEAT CHORUS AND FADE )

  If only it would......

  Expatbrit
• 

  Ravyn

  no, the continent is not America, it is NORTH America.

  I still maintain it is only because 'United States' does not lend itself to anything that is not awkward.

  United Statian

  United Stater

  United Statite

  United Statish

  do the people from the UK call themselves United Kingdomites? no, they say British or English or Irish or Welsh or Scottish. and the individual states in the US do have names for the people who hail from them. I am a New Jerseyite or New Jerseyan. I was also a Californian, an Idahoan, a Vermonter and now a Virginian.

  Ravyn
• 

  JH

  So, what is the offical name of your country?

  A) United States

  B) United States of America

  C) America
• 

  Sara Annie

  The Answer is B.

  On a related, but not exclusive, note: I must say that the semantics shell game that's constantly running on this board is getting tiresome. It'd be nice if, just once, a relatively insignificant issue such as this could be discussed and dismissed with a simple acknowledgement of "asked and answered" without someone getting their knickers into a twist. Have we nothing better to do? (That said, here I sit doing my part for the proliferation of silliness...)

  I'm just saying.
• 

  RubaDub

  Why call itself "America?" Why not ??? It's a nice name.

  Imagine the confusion if the US called itself Switzerland or something. People would get confused with the one in Europe.

  ***** Rub a Dub
• 

  truthseeker1

  OMFG!

  I got this from WWW.Dictionary.com

  A·mer·i·can ( P ) Pronunciation Key ( adj. Of or relating to the United States of America or its people, language, or culture. Of or relating to North or South America, the West Indies, or the Western Hemisphere. Of or relating to any of the Native American peoples. Indigenous to North or South America. Used of plants and animals.

  So if I live in the state of California of the United States of America, I can call myself an American. If I live in Peru or the West Indies I too can call myself an american too. If I was a plant indigenous to the Amazon, I could say I was an american plant.

  Also, here is another Definition:

  A·mer·i·ca ( P ) Pronunciation Key ( The United States. also the A·mer·i·cas (-k

  So, The United States is ONE OF THE definitions of the word America. Another is the landmasses of North, South and Central America are a sub-set of America. We are just trying to use words that the world understands in describing ourselves. If I was in some remote parts of Africa and I said I was a Floridian or a Oaklahomian (or is it Oaklahomo) I would venture I would get a puzzled look. If I said I was an American, they would know I hail from the Americas. Hope this helps your confusion.
• 

  JH

  To add to this confusion here is another article:

  Canada For an American, dreaming of this calmer, colder country to the North is a meditative wish for more laughter, less conflict. Outside of the US, the land of maple leaves represents a kinder, gentler America -- so that the symbolic meaning of a hamburger eaten during a dream visit there is a little less severe than it would be if eaten in dreamland Detroit, for example.

  See, Canada is called a gentler America.

  Canada also is America

  So when you say here in america, think twice.

  Say here in the US or USA America means much more than the US