Now that we’re friends, can I tell people to get off my lawn? That’s a great line
I don’t believe I’ve ever used that line, so I’m probably the wrong one to ask for permission. Shit, I don’t even have a lawn.
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377 posts were merged into an existing topic: I would very much like an alternative forum that was much more heavily regulated
Well, funny part is i was bein sarcastic in the beginning.mentioning.us canadians are sensitive about stupid little things.
However calling US citizens americans is.common and.convenient, but seems basically incorect.
As per your example on PRC being called Chinese. These 2 dont align as you are comparing a country status with continental one, 2 (and a half?) continents actually in the case of America.
If the PRC was called the PRA Peoples Republic of Asia, and you called chinese people Asians it would be the same thing. I mean they are, as are US citizens Americans. But people from Canada, Guatemala, Colombia, Peru etc are also all Americans in that same sense. If we dont call Italians by Italian and call them by their continent name it is also confusing as the idea is to identify with a nation not a continent. Just imagine it kn writing. I am European. I am Asian. I am American. I do get that people from the states have kind of appropriated the term, its not really a super important problem. But it is simply wrong. Hence my sarcastic stab at sensitive Canadians in the beginning, cause no one else cares 
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It’s not wrong.
It’s been adapted into the common English language for a long time now.
Things change. Everybody doing something doesn’t make it right. Means its common.
It makes it right because language is used for communication.
Yep, there is no right, people establish language through usage.
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…and language changes. Dost thou thinkest not? More recently, helluva to hella
It’s not changing by any objective measure though. If people want to say “US American” or whatever, that’s their business, I won’t be telling them to stop though I’ll think it’s ridiculous. I’ll be saying what I want, by the same token. Things will take the course they will
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Sure, naturally. US American isn’t catching on anytime soon, probably because it’s longer to say.
Hella and helluva are different
Hella is an adverb
Helluva is an adjective
One didn’t become the other.
Language reflects the culture, moves with it, but I don’t know how to quantify that change either. These come to mind: helluva <-> hella. Hey is a salutation. ain’t is a bonafide word…
Hell of a. Say it fast: helluva. Hella is a/the modern helluva
Sure, and those are words that have arisen organically within the culture. Someone didn’t come along and deliberately change it.
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US American; it’s been around for a while. I didn’t make it up. I bet you’re right - it is longer. Tradition and habits too. We’re creatures of habit and more often than not we resist change.
In terms of language, we are quite quick to adapt. Over 1000 new words and new definitions are added and changed every year in the English language every year. But those changes happen organically, like YOLO. If it makes sense, it’s catchy, and there’s a need for such a word, we adapt it pretty quickly in culture.
I say American, but when being clear, I say US citizen. I don’t currently see a need to US American since it’s longer, not catchy or smooth to say, and people are able to comprehend the current usage of American. But of course, things could change in the future.
Most changes and new words are shortened versions of another word/words like “OK” for “oll korrect”. I can’t think of any new words that we adapted that is longer.
I have actually changed to calling it America since living overseas. In Canada we call it “the States”. Some people think that American includes Canada because of North America. people actually have commented it’s weird I call it America now when I visit
I agree with this, language evolves
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For whatever reason, British people can’t grasp my “Z” when I say “Zee”. I’ve had to change it to Zed, which is also used in Canada. But most Canadians know Americans say Zee and Americans also can get that Canadians say Zed. I’m not sure what is the issue with british people not understanding Zee.
Part of me thinks they’re doing it on purpose being snobs.
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