What is there no adjective to describe a person from the USA?

Question

Yes, of course when we say American, it means we're from the USA, but Brazilians can also say they are American. We can say we're Northamerican, but so are Mexicans and Canadians. All we can say is that we are (north) American or are from the US, or from a particular state: Floridian, Kansan. Why?

Answer 1

There is one in Spanish: "estadounidences" (united statesian).

Often, when people say "American" and assume that this only applies to the US it is because of priviledge. (oh that wonderful marker of social hierarchy, the marker of oppression, priviledge/advantage)

..bleachpot is more accurate because we have an assimilistic society. We aren't encourage to melt together (Pluralism-together but still maintaning one's original identity), but to become the same, and basically, same means 'white culture'.

Answer 2

Well, actually that's not an adjective, it's a gerund (American, Brazilian, Italian, and so on). And you're right, I've always though that's a mistake, but that's the way it is, it's another form that people from USA before you sought in order to show the world that "America (in general, the whole continent) belong to Americans" (meaning people from USA), it shows the ubiquitous imperialistic desire of your country.

Answer 3

You can define your country any way you want.
I say I am an American, and if a Brazilian or a Mexican attempts to verbally muscle me out of calling myself an American, I tell them I belong to the only American country that counts in this hemisphere. When I call myself an American everyone knows what country I mean.
Everyone can call themselves anything they want, and until further notice I'm an American.

Answer 4

Some words just seems to develop that way. It's easy to say Canadian or Mexican--(incidentally, isn't Mexico in CENTRAL American?...I think it is.) The word United Statesian is never spoken, because it's just doesn't sound right. And since Canadian, Mexican, Brazilian, Venezuelan, Columbian, etc all sounding good, there really hasn't been any dispute from anyone.

Answer 5

Mexicans call us northamericans too... And I think Canadians are cool with "american"

Answer 6

I always refer to them as Americans because people know exactly what I mean. Word to concept is not always one to one, so American can have multiple meanings. I know that French Canadians often call Americans USAs.

Answer 7

"US American"? In German you can say "US-Amerikaner", but if you just say "American" or "Amerikaner" it also means that you are from the USA, a Canadian would say he is Canadian and a Mexican would say Mexican, and so on, although Canada and Mexico and other countries are on the American continent too.

Answer 8

you will possibly be able to desire to be an atheist. As a Christian i've got faith all of us come from Adam and Eve. i do no longer understand a thank you to answer you using fact no person is of one blood. we are ALL correct...yet in spite of this, you needless to say do no longer share my faith.

Answer 9

Because America is a melting pot, full of all different kinds of races, ethnicities, and cultures. Therefore one ethnicity could not possibly describe all Americans.