Escritora

A person from the United States is called an "estadounidense" in Spanish. Do any other languages have a name that is not a variation on American but rather specifies that someone is from the US?

joao

"norte americano" in Portuguese.

StCirq

I can't think of any appellations for "an American" in the languages I know, but it always makes me smile when I hear Italians referring to the USA itself as "gli USA," (pronounced lyi ooza). That "creamy" sound really gets me.

micia

americano-a, here in Italy.

micia

if you want to be specific nord or sud for north or south, but there is never a need as it is usually understood. <BR>Even when it is not, you are not usually asked, it is just assumed USA. <BR>A lot of people also, when they hear you speaking english will think you are British.

Miriam

Hello Escritora, <BR> <BR>in German it is "Amerikaner"(male) <BR>I think it`s not obvious for most of the <BR>German people that it might be including people from South- or Middle America. Those people will be directed as " someone from Brazil or Chile or Costa Rica", but not as an American... <BR> <BR>Miriam

a regular

Norteamericano also refers to Canadians.

Art

In German I am American "Ich bin aus die Vereinegan Staten" In Romanian "Sent American" or for a woman its "Sint Americnco" In Polist for a man "Americanen" for a woman "Americanco". <BR>Regards, <BR>

stirrer

In English the word 'Yank' is commonly used for people from the USA. <BR> <BR>In Maly they say 'orang jahil'. <BR> <BR>In Turkish it's 'geri zekali'.

Phil

In German and Swiss news programmes persons from the U.S. are frequently called "US-Amerikaner", adjecive "US-amerikanisch".

Surlok

In Brazil we usually call Americans.. Americanos. We seldom use the expression norte americanos, as Joćo said they call them in Portugal. We refer to people from Central America and Mexico as Latino Americanos in general, whereas Brazilians, Argentinians, Equatorians and other South American nationalities are called Sul Americanos. Strangely, the US citizens are the only ones that we call simply.. Americanos. <BR> <BR>Surlok

Princess Pudding

On some French websites I've seen references to Les Ricains, meaning people from the USA... I would be interested to know if this is commonly used amongst the French.

clairobscur

"ricains" is a shortening of "americains". It's not commonly used, and if it is, it's usually more or less derogatory.

PrincessPudding

Clairobscur: Thank you for the explanation. I had suspected that it might be used in that way.

Jose

Hi Escritora and everybody: <BR> <BR>You are right saying that in Spanish we call 'estadounidense' those people from USA, but also, perhaps as a fact of literal translation, we asume that an 'americano' is from USA. <BR> <BR>Many people use the word 'norteamericano', but it can fit also Canadians and Mexicans (usually not). Of course, exist other words for the other Americans as 'Centroamericanos, Sudamericanos, Latinoamericanos, Hispanoamericanos', and the ones for each country : argentino, chileno, peruano, boliviano... <BR> <BR>Words as Yanky are understood all over the world, but perhaps, it's not a word of simpathy for 'estadounidenses' and for those from the south of USA

Mika

In German we use AMI or plural AMIS ( pronounced AMIZ)for people from the US. <BR>Then we have Canadians, South Americans, Mexicans, and people from the Banana Republics.

elvira

I take umbrage at Yanky! It's YANKEE. To anyone south of the Mason-Dixon, it refers to anyone north of the aforementioned. To anyone north of the Mason-Dixon, it usually refers to New Englanders. To New Englanders, it means a died-in-the-wool native whose roots go back to the Revolution and before (Peabodys [pronounced PEAbiddy or PEAbdy] are Yankees, Kennedys are NOT). ay yuh.