Well, everybody born in the american continent is technically “american” too, including Central and South America. Is there a specific term in english for these people?

Edit: Thanks for all your answers, especially the wholesome ones and those patient enough to explain it thoroughly. Since we (South Americans) and you (North Americans) use different models/conventions of continent boundaries, it makes sense for you to go by “Americans”, while it doesn’t for us.

  • morgunkorn@discuss.tchncs.deEnglish
    492·
    1 year ago

    “American” is the official name, though throughout history attempts have been made to find alternatives. You can read more on the Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demonyms_for_the_United_States

    The only officially and commonly used alternative for referring to the people of the United States in English is to refer to them as citizens of that country.[18] Another alternative is US-American,[19] also spelled US American.

    Several single-word English alternatives for American have been suggested over time, especially Usonian, popularized by architect Frank Lloyd Wright,[20] and the nonce term United-Statesian.[21]

    Writer H. L. Mencken collected a number of proposals from between 1789 and 1939, finding terms including Columbian, Columbard, Fredonian, Frede, Unisian, United Statesian, Colonican, Appalacian, Usian, Washingtonian, Usonian, Uessian, U-S-ian, Uesican, and United Stater.[22] Names for broader categories include terms such as Western Hemispherian, New Worlder, and North Atlantican.[23][24][25]

    Nevertheless, no alternative to “American” is common in English.[18]

      • morgunkorn@discuss.tchncs.deEnglish
        19·
        1 year ago

        That sentence stumped me too, really weird wording. Apparently it means “rare, seldom used” in US English.

        Edit: just checked Urban Dictionary and welp, I didn’t foresee the British slang meaning o_O

    • loopy@lemmy.worldEnglish
      105·
      1 year ago

      I’m definitely going to start using Usonian. It seems the most natural. We probably can’t use Colombian because… you know…that’s a country already haha

      • Stovetop@lemmy.world
        14·
        1 year ago

        Probably a good idea to put some distance between the US and the tainted legacy of Christopher Columbus, too.

      • HootinNHollerin@sh.itjust.works
        31·
        1 year ago

        It’s with a U, Columbian. As in Washington, District of Columbia. Not like that makes it a name that would stick anyway

    • Corroded@leminal.spaceEnglish
      84·
      1 year ago

      Yankee (or Yank) is a colloquial term for Americans in English; cognates can be found in other languages. Within the United States, Yankee usually refers to people specifically from New England or the Northern United States, though it has been applied to Americans in general since the 18th century, especially by the British.[26] The earliest recorded use in this context is in a 1784 letter by Horatio Nelson.[26]

      I might start calling Americans Yankees

      • TheDoozer@lemmy.world
        306·
        1 year ago

        You will almost certainly annoy or piss off some Southerners (Those of the United States south of the Mason-Dixon Line, that is), then.

        So definitely do it.

        • sin_free_for_00_days@sopuli.xyz
          9·
          1 year ago

          Some British guy said something like,“I bet the yanks won’t like that” (Whatever it was, I can’t remember). I replied,“Hell, the confederates won’t like it much either” He was very confused.

        • Ech@lemm.eeEnglish
          83·
          1 year ago

          Anyone that takes offense to being called a Yank is someone that would’ve been happily fighting for the Confederates during the Civil War. So fuck 'em.

          • PrincessLeiasCat@sh.itjust.works
            1·
            1 year ago

            Not necessarily - there’s also a MLB team with this name, so folks from different regions of the US may get pissed off/confused.

            It just sounds weird to me personally, but I know it’s not an uncommon term in places like the UK/EU & I don’t take offense.

            Depends on where the person using the term is from I guess?

      • JackFrostNCola@lemmy.worldEnglish
        1·
        1 year ago

        And Aussies take that another step further and say “Seppo” which is short for “Septic Tank”, which is rhyming slang for “Yank”.

      • captainlezbian@lemmy.world
        21·
        1 year ago

        Do it, it’s probably the best option really. Feel free to call us Yanks too. Unlike the others proposed it’s one where any of us will know what you mean