Quote:
Originally Posted by Elkhanan1
Who in the Anglo-sphere, to which you belong, conceives of North America and South America as a single geographic entity called "America?" No one, that's who. Why? Because for normal, modern, everyday English-speakers--be it from the UK, US, NZ, Australia, Canada, Ireland or any other Anglophone country I may be leaving out--it doesn't exist.
The US, aka America, and Mexico are part of the continent of North America and Brazil is part the continent of South America. The United States might be *of* America but it's not *in* "America" because there's no continent by that name in standard, contemporary English without "North" or "South" preceding it.
So, are you making a political statement or are you just being annoyingly pretentious?
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The video clearly has the continents listed to the side as
Asia, Europe, America, Africa. And you should do a little digging before mouthing off because you're flat out wrong.
I was educated in the UK before moving to Canada. We were taught the historical meaning of the word 'America'. The term has historically always referred to the New World. it was all 'America' back then and England had more colonies in America besides the 13 that revolted against the Crown.
That is what we were taught in school. In fact, it was only after the War of 1812 that people in Upper Canada, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick stopped referring to themselves as Americans. They did this to differentiate themselves from the people they were at war with. It's how the term 'Canadian' came into widespread usage.
Even today, the western hemisphere's inter-governmental body is called the OAS: Organization of American States. The biggest soccer team in Mexico is called 'Club America' and their biggest mobile firm is 'America Movil'. I guarantee you that its not in reference to the United States. The US, unfortunately, started referring to their country as 'America' to the exclusion of the other 34 countries in America. It's akin to Spain calling their country 'Europe'. The reality is that we're now stuck with it. 'America' still means what it's always meant but it also means the United States. Which meaning is determined by context. Personally, I'm governed by my education NOT what your average Joe Blow does or thinks. That's the opposite of being pretentious.
It's true that in much of the anglophone world 'America' usually means the US but it's not absolute like you're attempting to portray. It's also true that there's a generational split. Due to the influence of the US, usage in the anglophone world to mean the US has become more prevalent over the last few decades. That said, it's still an ambiguous term in the anglophone world even if it's not in the US and much of Canada. I never ever use the word 'America' to mean the US but I'm not about to lambaste someone who does.
This topic has come up a few times on trips to the UK. When I ask the response is always the same: usually we mean the US but sometimes we mean the New World. I'm not trying to make a political statement. I'm not trying to be pretentious/fit in either. I had the luxury of a very good education and fortunate enough to be well traveled. Am I supposed to dumb myself down to avoid potentially upsetting someone? On the contrary, you're being arrogant (and rather provincial) to suggest that YOUR understanding of the word is the only one that matters.
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