Gregory J. Neumann wrote:
USians is good. Just be sure to pronounce it US-ians to symbolize our individualism (self-centeredness?). Well, we got "America" in our name first, then nobody else really contested it.
Only half-related: Did you know that Venezuela used to be called the United States of Venezuela? :-)
Sorry, we were just looking for something to differentiate ourselves from England.
Yeah. And I can see that there's nothing in "United Staes of America" that is really distinctinctive.
There was even a movement for calling what is now the USA "United State of Columbia" in recognition of Columbus' bringing the Western Hemisphere to the attention of the European imperialist/colonialist powers, but ... it sort of died.
HHHmm... it's a thought. But it'd be easili mixed up with Colombia. Especially since near the beginning, Colombia was a fairly large country spanning what is now modern day Colombia, Venezuela and Ecuador. And it looked like it might expand to Peru and Bolivia.
"Yankee" was mostly reserved for the New England colonies, and became applied to the Northern States in the U.S. Civil War or "War Between the States" by the Southern States.
Interesting.
They actually have a term that unmistakably identifies them as a citizen of the Dominion of Canada (official term back when I was a little kid.)
Still is AFAIK. It's cool name. Some people don't like it because it was supposed to represent a British Dominion. But I like the name.
I'm actually surprised that South Americans don't try to change the name of their continent and fully disassociate themselves from the problem altogether! Come on, Daniel, let's have some ideas about that! Bolivaria! That would be a good name, but what about "Bolivians", then?
That's a thought. Argentinians and Brazilians would throw a fit. But oh well... ;-)
Hmmm .... "Andea" after the Andes Mountains?
That's a thought... Maybe Amazonia?
"Australia" (Southernland) has already been taken, AND they have the audacity to have only one country on it! :-P
Cool, I didn't know Australia meant that. I
Well, that's as far as my brain will go with it for now.
I suggest that "Americans" (being defined in this context as "citizens of the USA") didn't set out to steal the name, and that various European (and other!) countries are in on the conspiracy as well. Yes, it's a world wide conspiracy to make the other residents of the American continents look bad! ;-)
:-)
Heh.
Cheers, Daniel.
