American (word)
1241
225877816
2008-07-15T20:42:30Z
Sephiroth BCR
621952
Reverted edits by [[Special:Contributions/201.208.113.26|201.208.113.26]] to last version by Quadell (using [[WP:HG|Huggle]])
{{Cleanup|date=August 2006}}
Use of the word '''''American''''' in the [[English language]] differs between historical, geographical, and political contexts. It derives from ''[[Americas|America]]''<!--Please do NOT change this link, see [[Wikipedia:Disambiguation#Links to disambiguation pages]]-->, a term originally referring to all of the [[New World]] (also called the [[Americas]]), and its usage has evolved over time.
The standard way to refer to a citizen of the United States is as an ''[[American (word)|American]].'' Though ''United States'' is the formal adjective, ''American'' and ''U.S.'' are the most common adjectives used to refer to the country ("American values," "U.S. forces"). ''American'' is rarely used in American English to refer to people not connected to the United States.<ref>Wilson, Kenneth G. (1993). ''The Columbia Guide to Standard American English''. New York: Columbia University Press, pp. 27–28. ISBN 0231069898.</ref>
The word can be used as both a [[noun]] and an [[adjective]]. In adjectival use, it is generally understood to mean "of or relating to the [[United States|United States of America]]"; for example, "[[Elvis Presley]] was an American singer" or "the American president gave a speech today;" in noun form, it generally means [[United States nationality law|U.S. citizen or national]]. When used with a [[Grammatical modifier|grammatical qualifier]] the adjective ''American'' can mean "of or relating to the Americas," as in [[Latin America]]n or [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Indigenous American]]. Less frequently, the adjective can take this meaning without a qualifier, even when used in the United States, as in "[[Spanish dialects and varieties|American Spanish]] dialects and pronunciation differ by country," or "The ancient American civilizations of the [[pre-Columbian]] period were advanced in mathematics and astronomy." A third use of the term pertains specifically to the [[indigenous peoples of the Americas]], for instance, "In the 15th century, many Americans died from imported diseases during the Spanish conquest".
==Other languages==
[[French language|French]], [[German language|German]], and [[Italian language|Italian]] speakers may use [[cognates]] of the word "American" to refer specifically to United States citizens, as in English, or to the New World, as in Spanish. In [[Spanish language|Spanish]], ''americano'' often refers to the entire New World; the adjective and noun describing the United States is ''estadounidense'', deriving from ''Estados Unidos de América'', the United States of America. In [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]] ''americano'' is the standard word for United States citizens, though it can also refer to all America, and ''estadunidense'' (from ''Estados Unidos da América'') ''norteamericano'' and ''ianque'' are also often used as well.{{Fact|date=December 2007}} In [[French language|French]], the term ''étasunien'' (coming from ''États-Unis d'Amérique'') is sometimes used to avoid any confusion from ''américain'', an adjective which can refer to the whole continent; the same applies to the German word ''US-amerikanisch'' or ''US-Amerikaner''. The terms ''estadounidense'', ''norteamericano'', ''yanqui'', and [[gringo]] are popularly used in Mexico and some [[Central American]] and [[South American]] countries to describe the people of the United States. Gringo is often used for any foreign person. The differences in usage of the cognates cause some cultural friction between U.S. nationals and [[Latin Americans]]; Latin Americans, in particular, may object to the primary English usage of ''American'', feeling it unfairly appropriates the term, though no country besides the United States of America uses the term "America" in their name.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://hnn.us/articles/41736.html|publisher=History News Network|date=August 2007|title=What's with the Silence About Amerigo Vespucci?|author=Felipe Fernandez-Armesto |accessdate=2008-06-09}}</ref> Mexico uses the words "United States" in its official name of the [[Mexico|United Mexican States]] (from [[Spanish language|Spanish]] ''Estados Unidos Mexicanos'').
==History of the word==
[[Image:Bowen America.png|thumb|300px|British Map of America in 1744.]]
[[Americas#Naming of America|Various theories]] exist for the derivation of the word ''America''. The most commonly expounded theory is that German cartographer [[Martin Waldseemüller]] derived it from the Latinized version of the name of [[Amerigo Vespucci]] (''Americus Vespucius''), an [[Italy|Italian]] merchant and cartographer whose exploratory journeys in the early 1500s brought him to the eastern coastline of [[South America]] and to the [[Caribbean]]. Some of Vespucci's letters were published, and they were the basis of [[Waldseemüller map|Waldseemüller's 1507 map]], which was the first to use the word ''America''. (See {{cite web|last=Cohen|first=Jonathan|title=The Naming of America: Vespucci's Good Name|url=http://muweb.millersville.edu/~columbus/data/his/COHEN-01.HIS|accessdate=2007-06-26}}) In 1886, [[Jules Marcou]] states that Vespucci changed his Christian name of Alberigo Vespucci (''Albericus Vespucius'') to Amerigo Vespucci only after coming into contact with natives from the eponymous [[Amerrique]] ranges of [[Nicaragua]] {{Fact|date=June 2007}}, which connect [[North America]] to [[South America]], an important geographical feature of [[New World]] maps and charts. The newest theory from 1908 suggests ''America'' derives from the name of one [[Richard Amerike]] of [[Bristol]] in [[England]], financier of [[John Cabot]]'s expedition in 1497. Cabot is believed to be the first Western European to set foot on the mainland. However it came into existence, the term ''American'' was subsequently used as an adjective describing the [[New World]] and its native people.
In the 16th century, the word ''American'' was used by Europeans for the indigenous inhabitants of the New World; soon it was extended to describe newly settled Europeans, namely Spaniards and their mixed progeny. In 1776, the [[Declaration of Independence (United States)|Declaration of Independence]] and the [[Articles of Confederation]] proclaimed a new country, "The United States of America". The Articles of Confederation state the following above the signatories: "In Witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands in Congress. Done at Philadelphia in the State of Pennsylvania the ninth day of July in the Year of our Lord One Thousand Seven Hundred and Seventy-Eight, and in the Third Year of the independence of America." Divergence in usage becomes evident because only the word America, not the United States, is used in this section.
The term ''[[Americas#Naming|America]]'', for the lands of the [[Western Hemisphere|western hemisphere]], was coined in the early 16th century after [[Amerigo Vespucci]], an Italian explorer and cartographer. The full name of the country was first used officially in the [[United States Declaration of Independence|Declaration of Independence]], which was the "unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America" adopted by the "Representatives of the united States of America" on [[July 4]], [[1776]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.archives.gov/national-archives-experience/charters/charters_downloads.html|title=The Charters of Freedom|publisher=National Archives|accessdate=2007-06-20}}</ref> The current name was finalized on [[November 15]], [[1777]], when the [[Second Continental Congress]] adopted the [[Articles of Confederation]], the first of which states, "The Stile of this Confederacy shall be 'The United States of America.'" Common short forms and abbreviations of the United States of America include the ''United States,'' the ''U.S.'', the ''U.S.A.'', and ''America''. Colloquial names for the country include the ''U.S. of A.'' and ''the States''. ''[[Columbia (name)|Columbia]]'', a once popular name for the Americas and the United States, was derived from [[Christopher Columbus]]. It appears in the name "[[Washington, D.C.|District of Columbia]]". A female personification of Columbia appears on some official documents, including certain prints of [[United States dollar|U.S. currency]].
[[Alexander Hamilton]] and [[James Madison]] employ two different meanings for ''American'' in the [[Federalist Papers]]. For example, Madison and Hamilton write of "the American republic" in ''[[Federalist Papers|Federalist Paper 51]]''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.constitution.org/fed/federa51.htm|title=The Federalist no. 51|author=James Madison}}</ref> and ''70'' respectively.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Federalist_No._70|author=Alexander Hamilton|title=The Federalist no. 70}}</ref> In contrast, Hamilton uses ''American'' to describe land outside the political borders of the United States of America in ''Federalist Paper 24''<ref>{{cite journal | first = Alexander | last = Hamilton | journal = The Federalist Papers | volume = 24 | url = http://www.law.ou.edu/hist/federalist/federalist-20-29/federalist.24.shtml | title = The Powers Necessary to the Common Defense Further Considered}}</ref>
{{quotation|Though a wide ocean separates the United States from Europe, yet there are various considerations that warn us against an excess of confidence or security. On one side of us, and stretching far into our rear, are growing settlements subject to the dominion of Britain. On the other side, and extending to meet the British settlements, are colonies and establishments subject to the dominion of Spain. This situation and the vicinity of the West India Islands, belonging to these two powers create between them, in respect to their American possessions and in relation to us, a common interest.}}
In 1796, during George Washington's Farewell address, the president is quoted as saying "The name of American, which belongs to you in your national capacity, must always exalt the just pride of patriotism more than any appellation."<ref>[http://www.eagleforum.org/psr/2002/may02/psrmay02.shtml The Premier American Hero - George Washington - May 2002 Phyllis Schlafly Report<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
The phrase "the United States" was originally treated as plural—e.g, "the United States are"—including in the [[Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution|Thirteenth Amendment]] to the Constitution, ratified in 1865. However, it has commonly been treated as singular—e.g., "the United States is"—since the turn of the twentieth century. The plural form is retained in the set idiom "these United States."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/002663.html|author=Zimmer, Benjamin|date=[[2005-11-24]]|title=Life in These, Uh, This United States|publisher=University of Pennsylvania—Language Log|accessdate=2008-02-22}}</ref>
Some proposals for a different name for the country were made prior to the Constitutional Convention, with the most popular name being "[[Historical Columbia|Columbia]]". The problems with the name "the United States of America" (its length, awkwardness, vague and imprecise meaning) were known and discussed at the time, but the Constitution did not address the topic, using both "the United States of America" and "the United States" interchangeably.
In contrast, the word "Colombia" comes from the name of [[Christopher Columbus]] (''Cristóbal Colón'' in Spanish, ''Cristoforo Colombo'' in Italian). It was conceived by the revolutionary [[Francisco de Miranda]] as a reference to the New World, especially to all [[the Americas|American]] territories and colonies under [[Spain|Spanish]] and [[Portugal|Portuguese]] rule, and which eventually led to the short-lived United States of Colombia to distinguish it from the United States of America.
Peculiar inconsistencies are evident in official documents shortly after the United States became a sovereign nation. The 1778 Treaty of Alliance with France uses the term "the United States of North America" in the first sentence, but subsequently uses just "the said United States". Both "the United States of America" and "the United States of North America" came from the earlier terms "the United Colonies of America" and "the United Colonies of North America".
The Treaty of Peace and Amity, Signed at Algiers [[September 5]], [[1795]],<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/diplomacy/barbary/bar1795t.htm | title = The Barbary Treaties: Treaty of Peace and Amity}}</ref> is an agreement with "the United States of North America" which uses both "citizens of the United States" and "American Citizens" in the document.
Semantic divergence in the Anglophone world would not affect the Spanish colonies. In 1801, a document titled "Letter to American Spaniards" is believed to have directly influenced the Act of Independence and the 1811 Constitution of [[Venezuela]].<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.histal.umontreal.ca/espanol/documentos/la%20carta%20dirigida%20a%20los%20espanoles%20americanos.htm | title = La “Carta dirigida a los españoles americanos”, una carta que recorrió muchos caminos...}} {{es icon}}</ref> This document was published in French, Spanish, and English in 1799, 1801 and 1808, respectively.
The [[Latter-day Saints]] [[Articles of Faith]] make reference to the [[American continent]] as the place where Zion is to be built<ref>http://scriptures.lds.org/en/a_of_f/1/10#10</ref>.
The [[Old Catholic Encyclopedia]] refers to America as "the [[Western Continent]] or the New World". It discusses a wide variety of American republics ranging from the United States of America to the "the republic of Mexico, the Central American republics of Guatemala, Honduras, San Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Leon, and Panama; the Antillian republics of Haiti, Santo Domingo, and Cuba, and the South American republics of Venezuela, Colombia, Brazil, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay, the Argentine, and Chile."<ref>[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01409c.htm Catholic Encyclopedia: America<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>.
Since the late 18th century ''American'' has been used in both the historical continental sense, and to refer to the United States of America. Though the English and Spanish cognates have multiple, nearly identical meanings today, the common unqualified form in the respective language often differs.
==Disagreement over meaning==
The use of ''American'' as a national [[demonym]] for U.S. citizens has been frequently challenged primarily by Latin Americans.<ref>{{cite journal | first = H. L. | last = Mencken | url = http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0003-1283(194712)22%3A4%3C241%3ANFA%3E2.0.CO%3B2-0 | title = Names for Americans | journal = American Speech | volume = 22 | number = 4 | month = December | year = 1947 | pages = 241–256 | doi = 10.2307/486658}}</ref>
===Political and cultural views===
====Latin America====
[[Latin America]]ns consider everyone in the Americas to be ''americanos''. Use of the word to refer specifically to U.S. citizens may be seen as ignorant, arrogant, incorrect, or even self-serving depending on the context. The same sentiments may apply to the use of the word ''American'' in English. The Luxury Link travel guide<ref>{{cite web| last =| first =| authorlink =|coauthors =|title =Luxury Link Travel Guide| work =| publisher =| date =|
url =http://www.luxurylink.com/portfolio/por_dest_guide.php?save=1&id=111965| format =| doi =| accessdate =}}</ref> advises U.S. nationals traveling in Mexico to avoid referring to themselves as Americans, as Mexicans consider themselves Americans. The Getting Through Customs website advises business travelers not to use "in America" as a reference to the United States when doing business in Brazil.<ref>{{cite web| last =Morrison| first =Terri| authorlink =|coauthors =|title =Doing business abroad - Brazil| work =| publisher =| date =|
url =http://www.getcustoms.com/2004GTC/Articles/oag_11.html| format =| doi =| accessdate =}}</ref>
In Latin America, the slippage between the word ''American'' as a relation to the [[landmass]] of the [[Western Hemisphere]] and ''American'' exclusively to refer to U.S. nationals is seen as beneficial to the advances of United States [[foreign policy]] in Latin America.{{Fact|date=December 2007}}
====Spain====
The ''[[Diccionario de la lengua española de la Real Academia Española|Diccionario de la Lengua Española]]'' (Dictionary of the Spanish Language) published by the [[Real Academia Española]] (Royal Spanish Academy), defines ''estadounidense'' (''United Stater'') as "someone or something from or relating to the United States". This is by far the most common way for [[Spanish people|Spaniards]] to refer to U.S. nationals. People originating from, or who have lived in, the Western Hemisphere may be called ''americanos''.
Additionally, the Royal Spanish Academy advises against referring to U.S. nationals exclusively as ''Americans''<ref>[http://buscon.rae.es/dpdI/SrvltConsulta?lema=americano Real Academia Española<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>:
{{quotation|Pero debe evitarse el empleo de ''americano'' para referirse exclusivamente a los habitantes de los Estados Unidos, uso abusivo que se explica por el hecho de que los estadounidenses utilizan a menudo el nombre abreviado América (en inglés, sin tilde) para referirse a su país. No debe olvidarse que ''América'' es el nombre de todo el continente y son americanos todos los que lo habitan.}}
Translation:
{{quotation|But the use of ''American'' to refer exclusively to inhabitants of the United States should be avoided; this corrupt use is due to the fact that U.S. citizens often shorten the name to ''America'', (in English, without an accent mark) to refer to their country. One should not forget ''America'' is the name of the entire continent and all who inhabit it are Americans.}}
====Canada====
Prior to Confederation in 1867, the word "Canadian" referred only to residents of the colony of Canada, which consisted of the territory of modern Quebec and Ontario. The term did not apply to residents of the colonies of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island or Newfoundland. Collectively, the British colonies were known as British North America and their residents referred to themselves as "British Americans." Only after 1867 did the term "Canadian" come to describe all the residents of the Dominion of Canada and the word "American" come to be seen a semi-pejorative.
In [[Canada]], their southern neighbour is seldom referred to as "America", with "the United States", "the U.S.", or (informally) "the States" used instead,<ref name="oxfcdn">Fee, Margery and McAlpine, J. 1997. ''Oxford Guide to Canadian English Usage.'' (ISBN 0-19-541619-8) Toronto: Oxford University Press; p. 36.</ref> although "American" is the usual ''demonym'' in modern Canadian English. Modern Canadians rarely apply the term American to themselves — some Canadians resent being referred to as Americans because of mistaken assumptions that they are U.S. citizens or an inability—particularly of people overseas—to distinguish [[Canadian English]] and [[American English]] [[accent (linguistics)|accents]].<ref name="oxfcdn" /> Some Canadians protested the use of ''American'' as a national demonym in the past.<ref>{{cite journal|last=de Ford|first=Miriam Allen|year=1927|month=April|title=On the difficulty of indicating nativity in the United States|journal=American Speech|pages=315}}</ref> When Canadians need to refer to the larger continental context, ''North American'' (or ''North and South American''), not "American", is the term in current usage.
People of U.S. [[ethnic]] origin in Canada are categorized as "American ([[United States|U.S.]])" by [[Statistics Canada]] for purposes of [[census]] counts.<ref>http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census01/products/standard/themes/RetrieveProductTable.cfm?Temporal=2001&PID=62911&APATH=3&GID=431515&METH=1&PTYPE=55440&THEME=44&FOCUS=0&AID=0&PLACENAME=0&PROVINCE=0&SEARCH=0&GC=99&GK=NA&VID=0&VNAMEE=&VNAMEF=&FL=0&RL=0&FREE=0</ref>
The terms ''Étasunien'' and ''Étatsunisien'' are sometimes used in [[Québec French]] as a demonym for American citizens in place of the more common ''Américain''.{{Fact|date=December 2007}}
====Portugal and Brazil====
''Americano'' is generally used to refer to United States citizens. Currently in [[Portugal]] Brazilians are usually called ''brasileiros'' and rarely ''americanos'', although the common usage was different in the 19th century. However, the usage of ''americano'' in specific reference to the United States is not recommended by the Academia das Ciências de [[Lisboa]] (Lisbon Science Academy, which regulates language use) because the word ''estado-unidense'' (''estadunidense'', alternative spelling) clearly identifies a ''United Stater''.
In Portugal, the naturals/citizins of USA are, colloquially, called "americanos", but, in written text, the more usual expression is "norte-americano".
Brazilians refer to themselves as "americanos" in general and "Latino-americanos" in particular. However the word "América" has in the past 15 years become more popular as synonymous with "United States of America" in big urban centers more influenced by [[United States culture]], especially after the Brazilian immigration boom to US in mid-1990s. In many parts of the country "norte-americano" usually refers to someone from the United States, while "América" is still used to refer to the Americas. {{Fact|date=August 2007}}
====United States====
[[Image:American1346.gif|thumb|"United States or American" ancestry by county, per 2000 U.S. Census. (Dark colors represent higher relative density.)]]
The [[United States Census Bureau]] considers 7.3% of the residents of the United States to be of "United States or American" [[ancestry]]<ref>[http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/QTTable?_bm=y&-state=qt&-qr_name=DEC_2000_SF3_U_QTP13&-ds_name=DEC_2000_SF3_U&-CONTEXT=qt&-_caller=geoselect&-geo_id=01000US&-format=&-_lang=en United States - QT-P13. Ancestry: 2000<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> based on responses to the [[2000 United States Census|2000 Census]] long form questionnaire (1 in 6 [[Sample (statistics)|sample]]). Responses of ''United States'' or ''American'' alone, or with an ambiguous response or state name (excluding [[Hawai'i]]) were aggregated as "United States or American" for most purposes. Distinct groups such as "[[Native Americans in the United States|American Indian]]", "[[Mexican American]]", "[[African American]]", and "[[Hawaiian]]" were coded separately because of overlap with the short form questionnaire data (which covers the entire population) on [[Race (classification of human beings)|race]] and [[Hispanic]]/[[Latino]] [[ethnicity]].
Usage of the word can vary in diplomatic situations. Former U.S. President Bill Clinton is quoted as saying, "''…todos somos americanos''" during a speech in [[Honduras]].<ref>{{cite news | url = http://www.marrder.com/htw/mar99/national.htm | title = Clinton promises to lobby for more aid |date= [[15 March]] [[1999]] | edition = 149 | first = Suyapa | last = Carias | publisher = HondurasThisWeek}}</ref> His quotation is translated as "''We are all Americans''" by the [[Washington Post]]<ref>{{cite news | title = Clinton Hails U.S. Efforts in Storm Zone | url = http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/inatl/daily/march99/honduras10.htm |date= [[10 March]] [[1999]] | first = Charles | last = Babington | publisher = [[Washington Post]]}}</ref> and [[CNN]].<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/americas/9903/09/clinton.latam.04/index.html | title = Clinton surveys hurricane relief efforts in Central America |date= [[9 March]] [[1999]] | publisher = [[CNN]]}}</ref>
There is also some dispute about the meaning of ''American'' in the [[Monroe Doctrine]] to this day.
==''American'' in other contexts==
{{Globalize/USA}}
The ''[[AP Stylebook|Associated Press Stylebook]]'' (1994) defines American as "An acceptable description for a resident of the [[United States]]. It also may be applied to any resident or citizen of nations in North or South America." It also advises that United States should "be spelled out when used as a noun. Use U.S. (no space) only as an adjective."
In the entry for America, ''[[The New York Times Manual of Style and Usage]]'' (1999) says that the "terms ''America'', ''American(s)'' and ''Americas'' refer not only to the United States, but to all of North America and South America. They may be used in any of their senses, including references to just the United States, if the context is clear. The countries of the Western Hemisphere are collectively ''the Americas''."
===''American'' in international law===
In legal circles a citizen of the United States is usually referred to as a ''U.S. citizen'', not an ''American citizen'', though the latter term is common in popular usage. The following excerpt is from the [[North American Free Trade Agreement]]:
{{quotation|Only air carriers that are U.S. citizens are permitted to operate domestic air services or operate international air services as a "U.S." carrier; non-U.S. citizens may own and control foreign air carriers that operate between the U.S. and foreign points.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.gutenberg.org/catalog/world/readfile?fk_files=34859&pageno=12 | title = North American Free Trade Agreement |date= [[October 7]] [[1992]]}}</ref>}}
===''American'' in U.S. law, generally===
In the 6th Edition of ''[[Black's Law Dictionary]]'', American is defined as "Of or pertaining to the United States." In the two newer editions of the same dictionary there is no entry for American.
===''American'' in U.S. marketplace regulation===
Products labeled, advertised, or marketed in the U.S. as "[[Made in USA label|American Made]]" must be "all or virtually all made in the U.S." The U.S. Federal Trade Commission, in order to prevent deception and unfair competition, considers an unqualified "American Made" claim to be an express claim of U.S. manufacture. "The [[FTC Act]] gives the Commission the power to bring law enforcement actions against false or misleading claims that a product is of U.S. origin."<ref>[http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/buspubs/madeusa.htm Complying with the Made In the USA Standard<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
==''U.S. national'' in other languages==
[[English language|English]], [[French language|French]], [[German language|German]], [[Italian language|Italian]], [[Japanese language|Japanese]], [[Chinese language|Chinese]], [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]], [[Arabic language|Arabic]], popular [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]] and [[Russian language|Russian]] speakers may use ''American'' (Japanese: アメリカ人 roma-ji: amerika-jin), ({{lang-ru|американец, американка,}}) (Mandarin Chinese: pinyin- ''měiguórén'', traditional- 美國人, simplified- 美国人) to refer to U.S. citizens. These languages generally have other terms for U.S. nationals; for example, there is ''US-Amerikaner'' in German, ''étatsunien'' in French, or ''statunitense'' in Italian.
In [[Spanish language|Spanish]], ''estadounidense'', ''estado-unidense'' or ''estadunidense'' are preferred to ''americano'' for U.S. nationals; the latter tends to refer to any resident of the Americas and not necessarily from the United States.<ref>{{cite book | title = Pequeño Larousse Ilustrado 1992 edition, look up word Americano: contains the Observation: Debe evitarse el empleo de americano con el sentido de norteamericano o de los Estados Unidos (trans. Usage of the word with the meaning of northamerican or US Citizen must be avoided) | url = }}</ref> In Portuguese, ''estado-unidense''(or estadunidense) is the recommended form by language regulators but today it is less frequently used than ''americano'' and ''norte-americano''.
Latin Americans also may employ the term ''norteamericano'' (''North American''), which itself conflates the United States and Canada. However, this term may also refer to anyone from the North American continent, which also includes Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean.
Worldwide, speakers of [[Esperanto]] refer to the [[United States|United States of America]] with the term "Usono", which is borrowed from Frank Lloyd Wright's word [[Usonia]]<ref>
{{cite web | url = http://reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/uson.html#uson.0o | title = Reta Vortaro: Usono}}</ref>. Thus a [[citizen]] or [[nationality|national]] of the United States is referred to as an "usonano". The [[Esperanto|Esperantist]] terms for [[North America]]ns and for South Americans, by [[continent]] rather than [[country]], are Nordamerikano and Sudamerikano, respectively.
Adjectives derived from "United States" (such as ''United Statian'') appear awkward in English, but similar constructions exist in Spanish (''estadounidense'' or ''estadinense''), Portuguese (''estado-unidense'', ''estadunidense'') and [[Finnish language|Finnish]] (''yhdysvaltalainen'': from ''Yhdysvallat'', United States); and also in French (''états-unien'') and Italian (''statunitense'').
The word [[Gringo]] is widely used in parts of [[Latin America]] in reference to U.S. residents, often in a pejorative way but not necessarily. ''Yanqui'' (''[[Yankee]]'') is also very common in some regions. In Argentina, Uruguay and some regions of Brazil, the word ''Gringo'' is also used for any foreigner, not just for U.S. Citizens.
With the 1994 passage of the [[North American Free Trade Agreement]], the following words were used to label the ''United States Section'' of that organization: in French, ''étatsunien''; in Spanish, ''estadounidense''. In English the adjective used to indicate relation to the United States is ''U.S.''
==Alternative adjectives for U.S. citizens==
{{main|Adjectives for U.S. citizens}}
There are a number of alternatives to the [[demonym]] "American" (a citizen of the United States) that do not simultaneously mean any inhabitant of the Americas. One uncommon alternative is "[[Usonian]]," which usually describes a certain style of residential [[architecture]] designed by [[Frank Lloyd Wright]]. Over the years, many other alternatives have also surfaced, but most have long fallen into disuse and obscurity. Merriam Webster's Dictionary of English Usage says, "The list contains [in approximate historical order from 1789 to 1939] such terms as Columbian, Columbard, Fredonian, Frede, Unisian, United Statesian, Colonican, Appalacian, Usian, Washingtonian, Usonian, Uessian, U-S-ian, Uesican, United Stater."<ref>{{cite web | title = EDline Vol. 4, no. 9, American versus US | url = http://www.electriceditors.net/edline/vol4/4-9.txt}}</ref> Nevertheless, with the exception of "U.S." or "U.S. citizen", no alternative to "American" has been seriously considered.<ref>{{cite book | title = The Columbia Guide to Standard American English | url = http://www.bartleby.com/68/37/337.html}}</ref>
==See also==
* [[Americas (terminology)]]
* [[Alternative words for British]]
* [[Adjectives for U.S. citizens]]
==References==
{{reflist}}
==Scholarly sources==
* {{cite book | url = http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=58426145 | last = Allen | first = Irving L. | title = The Language of Ethnic Conflict: Social Organization and Lexical Culture | year =1983 | publisher = Columbia University Press | location = New York}}
* {{cite book | last = Condon | first = J.C. | year = 1986 | editor =J.M. Valdes | title = Culture bound: Bridging the cultural gap in language teaching | pages = 85-93 | location = Cambridge, UK | publisher = Cambridge University Press}} Chapter 8: “…So near the United States”.
* {{cite book | last = Herbst | first = Philip H. | title = Color of Words: An Encyclopaedic Dictionary of Ethnic Bias in the United States | year = 1997 | id = ISBN 1-877864-97-8}}
==External links==
* {{cite news | url = http://www.guardian.co.uk/Columnists/Column/0,,234240,00.html | title = The trouble with Americans | publisher = [[The Guardian]] |date= [[September 7]], [[1998]] | first = John | last = Ryle}}
* [http://buscon.rae.es/draeI/SrvltGUIBusUsual?LEMA=americano&TIPO_BUS=3 ''Diccionario de la Lengua Española'' entry for ''americano'']
[[Category:English words]]
[[Category:Geographical naming disputes]]
[[Category:American culture|American]]
[[es:Uso de la palabra americano(a)]]
[[pt:Uso da palavra americano/a]]
[[tr:Amerikan (sözcük)]]