Text 18317, 84 rader
Skriven 2008-06-28 07:36:25 av David Drummond (3:640/305)
  Kommentar till text 18305 av Jeff Smith (1:14/5)
Ärende: Make work
=================
Jeff Smith -> David Drummond wrote:

 DD>> When they're included in a group containing peoples from throughout
 DD>> South America or the Americas.

 JS>      And that group would be defined by the name of the country. A person
 JS> relates to a country just as a country relates to a continent. If a group
 JS> spanned serveral countries in say South America then I could see and
 JS> understand the use of the term "South American". But if the term
"American"
 JS> is also used then people are likely to wonder why the USA is also being
 JS> included. Your choice of terms invites confusion.

What is confusing about "US American"? Where could US Americans possibly hail
from?

Do you ever use the term "African"? Which term relates to an obvious country of
origin?

 >  JS>> We're not talking continents here David we're refering to the
 JS>>> country.

 DD>> Which country - United States of America?

 JS>      Yes, if you are going to use the term American.

There is no such country as "America" so "American" must be referencing peoples
from the Americas just as "African" is a person whose origins lie in the
continent of Africa.

 JS>>>  Your opinion may vary but I think the consensus is that people
 JS>>> fom the US are commonly refered to as Americans.

 DD>> Commonly in USA perhaps. Many outside the US borders refer to them as
 DD>> "USAmericans" or a derivative there-of.  "Americans" by itself is used
 DD>> when referencing persons from more than one country of the Americas.

 JS>      So far the consensus here would prove you wrong.

How many persons from outside the Americas have done that? Every single one of
the dissenters is American (includes the guy from Canada). I suggest that
proves me right.

 JS>>>  Just as people from Peru are called Peruvians and people from
 JS>>> Canada are refered to as Canadians.

 DD>> And people from United States of America are called (something like)
 DD>> US Americans.

 JS>      By you maybe. Who else here have you seen use that term to refer
 JS> to Americans?

Other than me, the only ones speaking on this issue are from the Americas. Hang
on, BF commented - he did not disagree with me. Bob Bashe  (who once lived in
the Americas) said that he has seen this uncertainty re "American" among
Germans.

 DD>> Use of the term "American" to reference only those from USA is as
 DD>> misleading as the use of the term "African" to reference only those
 DD>> from "South Africa", or "Korean" to reference only those from "North
 DD>> Korea".

 JS>      Again to you David. But then you are choosing to use a term that
 JS> is likely to be misleading to others. I do understand what you are saying
 JS> above. But that doesn't change the fact that the term "American(s)" is
 JS> understood to refer to people or things American. Meaning the USA.

Not to me or to others. American refers to someone from the Americas.

Obviously among your people, who are foremost in your own minds, the term
"American" does reference yourselves. To those of us who do not think about you
all of the time that use is not so clear.

That is why I prefer to use "US American", it leaves no room for confusion, by
anyone.

-- 

regards

David

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 * Origin: Here (3:640/305)