Why is there no proper English word for "United Statesian"?

In Finnish, United States is "Yhdysvallat", and if you want to say something/someone is from that country, you can use the adjective "yhdysvaltalainen". The same with Spanish, "estadounidense". But in English you can only say "American", which is not really correct, since America is the continent, not the country. "North American" doesn't work either, because of Mexico and Canada.

In English, there are proper adjectives for all other nationalities (French, Swedish, Nigerian, etc) except for the USA. Is the reason for that pure imperialism, or the unwieldiness of the term "United Statesian"? (Then again, adjectives like "Saudi Arabian" or "South Sudanese" aren't that much shorter.)

yanks

Yeah, but that's not proper, is it?

the country is called "the United States of America" which has led to English speakers calling the people from that country Americans. Lock thread.

this is surely because the USA became an independent before Mexico and Canada did. We claimed the term "American", it's ours now.

independent country

But there should still be an official adjective if you want to distinguish between something coming from the USA, or from the American continent in general. To compare, a lot of people simply say "Korean", but you can also say "North Korean" or "South Korean" if you want to make sure you're talking about a specific nation.

the closest analogy is obviously Russia, a naming convention which is handily used to refer to a wide range of ethnicities and geographical entities that are not specifically actually Russian.

The reason these countries get the short-hand is because they are historically amalgams of different states, ethnicities, etc. and their formal names (United States of American, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, etc.) reflect this. This is pretty uncommon, as far as most countries go - most countries just pick a single name and don't indicate they are a confederation of smaller groups/states.

North Korea and South Korea are distinct countries!

xp

(at any rate, nice to see you back Tuomas!)

I understand why "American" is common parlance, but it's just weird there isn't really a more formal adjective to use if you want to be precise, or if you don't want to offend Latin Americans (and Canadians), like there is with every other country in the world.

With the USSR, you could still use the adjective "Soviet", if you wanted to specify that you weren't only talking about Russians, right?

(at any rate, nice to see you back Tuomas!)

Thanks!

Chinese, Indian, etc etc etc etc etc

sometimes a "less precise" taxon is the most precise taxon in actual usage

you are arguing for a prescriptive idea of demonyms that isn't supported in practice by anyone

It is used in practice in other languages tho (Finnish and Spanish are ones I know, but most likely others have "United Statesian" too) exactly because "American" is imprecise. And I do know many Latin Americans don't like USA owning the term.

Formally I would use a phrase like "United States resident" or "U.S. citizen." Less formally, "American"... but only in cases where the audience will understand what that means/doesn't mean, and there's little chance of confusion with someone from Newfoundland or Uruguay. Least formally, "USian"

Of course Mexico is also a United States (of Mexico), so US/USian is technically wrong even if most people understand what you're talking about and are unlikely to be confused.

North American should probably mean USA/Canada/Mexico, but often it seems to skew more toward USA/Canada. That's technically iffy but tbf much of Mexico has more in common with Belize than with Manitoba (climate, biome, culture).

When I mean the Americas together (North, Central, and South) I might use "New World." For example, New World monkeys are those native to Central America and South America, as opposed to Old World monkeys, who are native to Africa and Asia.

So in practice I agree with Tombot - most of the time, most people understand what you mean, and that's the important thing. When you need to be more precise, there are terms and workarounds available to you.

Since United States-ers or States-ians or States-ites are all insufferably awkward, while "Americans" is admirably simple and direct, it's no wonder the world has settled on using "Americans" and agrees upon its meaning. To deny this is to quibble unnecessarily. Citizens of Mexico and Canada have their own designations which amply distinguish them from US citizens.

when I lived in Germany in the 70s the term for Americans among young people was "armies", the term referring to individuals, not groups. when I would say I was American the response was always some version of the idea that the word was an hegemonistic USA concept

xp yes glad to see Tuomas again!

In my experience, trying to claim that "Americans" by rights covers all residents of North, Central and South America and that to reserve it for US citizens alone is an injustice perpetrated by US hegemony, is always the mark of someone trying to express their utter disapproval of US foreign policy. There are better ways to do this.

This is the same sort of political thinking that tried very hard to substitute "womyn" for "women".

This is actually also a practical issue for me... My wife is Costa Rican, but the language we use most between us is English, and she obviously doesn't like the word "American" when referring to the US only (since Costa Ricans are Americans too), so we've had to come up with some alternatives. ATM we've settled on using "gringo", tho of course that's kinda problematic too (plus it feels a bit weird to say stuff like "gringo cinema").

Interesting to hear that someone is using the word "USian"! How do you pronounce it? You-see-an? You-ess-ian?

Tuomas, I only use it in writing.

Was it in "Fish Named Wanda" that the Kevin Kline character said "the us of America," pronounced like the pronoun, us? I sometimes say that in a jocular faux-jingoistic way, as in "Who saved Europe and landed on the moon? Us, that's who. The us of America."

“Statesiders” works for me, but I note it’s not in my phone’s dictionary.

USians would be cool (YOU-zhunz)

she obviously doesn't like the word "American" when referring to the US only (since Costa Ricans are Americans too)

I am curious under what circumstances she would prefer to identify as "American", as opposed to "Costa Rican" or "Central American", or "Latin American". Other than designating the rather broad fact that an "American" comes from somewhere between the Arctic Ocean and Straits of Magellan, which says amazingly little about a person, I can't really think what practical use that designation would have, of which she has been deprived by reserving it to designate people from the USA.

This doesn't mean she has to change her mind or renounce her dislike it, but it seems to me like standing on a principle that vanishes when I try to figure out how it is meant to improve anything. It's seems more about taking something of value away from the USA than about adding anything of value to her life or to that of other non-USA-resident Western-Hemispherians.

Chileans like to point out they’re Americans too. I don’t agree with Aimless that it’s just about taking something away from USAites, it’s also about staking a claim to what should be a more inclusive demonym than it is.

As above, though, prescriptivism is lame, and English is as English does.

xp I see your point, but I dunno, maybe "American' is a term that has value to many people. Shouldn't anybody in the western hemisphere be able to claim it, without taking anything away from the USA? If we USAers don't have to use the signifier 'North American' why should anybody in Central or South America have to qualify themselves?

“USian” isn’t a viable noun but “US” is a viable adjective. Like “US citizens” and “US diplomats”. But maybe “US film” sounds wrong.

The United States is a terrible name for a country. America is maybe worse, in its corny patriotic usage. Both put together is terrible. There are few countries so poorly named. It sounds like a nightmarish corporation (yes I know...)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First-mover_advantage#First-mover_disadvantages

lets rename this country alicia. we'll be the alicians.

last four posts A++

i pledge allegiance
to the flag
of alicia
and to the republic
for which it stands
one nation
under a groove
getting down just for the funk of it
amen

ol

l

I'd like to take a moment to point out that, if Costa Ricans are Americans and Chileans are Americans, then obviously United Statesians are also Americans. We can't help it. So, by right, we should be able to call ourselves Americans and others should be able to call us that if they wish. Because it is true.

yes, agree

american

The US is probably only a couple of years away from being named Trumpistan anyway, so this question is kinda moot.

Or Gilead.

it seems to me like standing on a principle that vanishes when I try to figure out how it is meant to improve anything. It's seems more about taking something of value away from the USA

Surely for some people that is a worthy goal in and of itself.

Can't say I blame them. Especially lately.

when I lived in Germany in the 70s the term for Americans among young people was "armies", the term referring to individuals, not groups.

It's not "army", it's Ami.

I'd like to take a moment to point out that, if Costa Ricans are Americans and Chileans are Americans, then obviously United Statesians are also Americans. We can't help it. So, by right, we should be able to call ourselves Americans and others should be able to call us that if they wish.

Yes, but when you say "I'm American", almost always it really means "I'm from the United States", whereas with non-US Americans it only means "I'm from the American continent". So maybe you can understand why some of those other Americans are a bit annoyed by USians using a term that (strictly speaking) is supposed to unite you all and instead having it distinguish yourself from others.

yeah always seemed egotistical to me but that in itself is fitting.

it has been shortened by patriots and satirists alike to 'Merican in recent years

Everybody understands your point.

As you already pointed out, however, most of the other countries on the continents already have more precise demonyms (estadounidense / estadunidenses) and the Canadians - who actually get confused for their dreadful neighbors all the time - don’t seem to have that much of an issue. So the answer to your question is that English doesn’t need one.

Gonna start identifying as yhdysvaltalainen

Do you call Chinese people "People's Republicans"?

America is the name of a country. It is also the name of two continents, collectively. Both of these things are true.

its a troll thread its ok

Do you call Chinese people "People's Republicans"?

No, but there's no other geographical entity called "China" that "Chinese" would refer to. However, I do for example say "North Koreans" and not "Koreans", when I want to make sure people understand I'm talking about inhabitants of that specific country and not the entire Korean peninsula. I just find it odd that there's no English word to use when I want to talk about people of United States with equal clarity (and don't want to offend Latin Americans).

Dunno about that but it should be moved to i love people-making xp

Why?
There just isn’t
But why isn’t there?
It just didn’t shake out that way
But how come though?

but mommy why

junior those are the rules

No, but there's no other geographical entity called "China" that "Chinese" would refer to.

Uh

don't want to offend Latin Americans

Uh

In french you can say « Etats-Uniens », as in Etats Unis d’Amerique. It’s very political though (anti US policy/culture has been very strong in France since at least the 1950s !).

I'm a United Kingdomonian, and we say this all the time

Aha. There isn't really a word to accurately describe people from the UK either is there? Northern Ireland is part of the UK but not part of Great Britain - and only if you accept the entire island of Ireland as part of the British Isles can people from Northern Ireland be called British, in which case, you could also call people from the Republic of Ireland British surely?

many do

Terry Wogan and Anne Marie Waters, to name but two.

iirc the introduction to Norman Davies' The Isles has a good think thru these issues

Mexico is also a United States. just saying.

Not nearly enough appreciation being shown itt for the word 'yhdysvaltalainen'.

I thought people did use the designation US, or yank if one wanted to be disrespectful.
Where was the area that Amerigo Vespucci first indicated as America? Is that what is now South America?
Do the rest of the people of the continent like using the word American to describe themselves anyway?

historical artifact mostly. the term started being used by people who didn't give a shit about the agency or personhood of people from parts of america outside the us. of course now that us citizens aren't like that anymore... ha ha ha.

septics