What Languge best represents Western Europe?

Guest   Wed Mar 26, 2008 3:15 pm GMT
There are more nice adjectives appart from americans: unitians, statians or usans.
New Yorker (Californian)   Wed Mar 26, 2008 3:52 pm GMT
Perhaps when the US was formed, folks normally considered themselves as belonging to one of the states, rather than the collection of states known as the USA. Perhaps. we should refer to ourselves with names like "Connecticuter", "Massachussettsian", "Mainer", "Marylander",
"Wisconsonite", "Utahian", "Wyomingite", etc.
Travis   Wed Mar 26, 2008 4:53 pm GMT
At least here in Wisconsin, people do definitely refer to themselves as "Wisconsinites" or, more frequently, say that they are "from Wisconsin"; when talking to other Americans such is generally used more than calling themselves "American", as such is quite vague (like calling oneself "European" because one is from a country in the EU) and because the individuals' being Americans generally does not need to be explicitly stated to begin in such contexts.
guest   Wed Mar 26, 2008 7:39 pm GMT
The problem with our designation is that our nation lacks a 'real' name. "United States of America" is a phrase, ...a description of what we are, but not a name for WHO we are... what are the united states of America called???

The united states of Mexico (Estados Unidos Mexicanos) can refer to themselves by the last part of their phrase: "Mexicanos" or as 'Mexico' because that is unique. They don't use Americanos, although they could, and end up in our boat.

we analogously end up simply being "Americans"
Earle   Wed Mar 26, 2008 11:07 pm GMT
People in the American South identify first as Americans, next as Southerners, and tertiarily, as from a particular state, if the question were posed by a non-USA resident. The state of origin would come up only in answer to a direct question. There may be some pockets (Virginia, perhaps), where inhabitants would name the state first in a domestic conversation.
Guest   Thu Mar 27, 2008 4:36 am GMT
I wonder if people from the United Arab Emirates or the Central African Republic have similar problems?
PARISIEN   Thu Mar 27, 2008 10:35 am GMT
<< I wonder if people from the United Arab Emirates or the Central African Republic have similar problems? >>
-- Les désignations "Centrafricains" et "Emiratis", aisément adaptables à toutes les langues, sont d'usage universel il me semble.
Travis   Thu Mar 27, 2008 3:54 pm GMT
>>People in the American South identify first as Americans, next as Southerners, and tertiarily, as from a particular state, if the question were posed by a non-USA resident. The state of origin would come up only in answer to a direct question. There may be some pockets (Virginia, perhaps), where inhabitants would name the state first in a domestic conversation.<<

That's the thing - around here only overly nationalistic sorts would identify themselves first as an American amongst other Americans (as opposed to being amongst non-Americans, where they would probably be far more likely to identify themselves as an American). To people here, there are people from Wisconsin, and then there are people from the rest of English-speaking North America, and even people from nearby states in the Upper Midwest, such as people from northern Illinois (aka "Illinois people"), are usually consciously distinguished from people from Wisconsin. (At the same time, people from places like Minnesota, northern Illinois, and Upper Michigan are still generally thought of here as being "more like us" than other English-speaking North Americans.)
Skippy   Thu Mar 27, 2008 4:25 pm GMT
In my experience, Texans are the only ones who first identify themselves by their state to foreigners. Touring the Oban distillery in Scotland, the tour guide was asking our tour group where everyone was from (Portugal, Russia, etc.) when he came to me and my two Californian friends, they said "America" and I said "Texas."
Guest   Fri Mar 28, 2008 9:24 am GMT
English is the best one.
Guest11   Fri Mar 28, 2008 1:35 pm GMT
It is very difficult to choose only 1. For instance, there are 6 international languages in Europe: English, German, Russian, French, Spanish and Italian.

The same in all Continents or big areas. Which language you can choose in the Americas? English or Spanish. The answer is easy. Both, but not only one of them.




On the other hand, if you choose the most spoken in all the continents, the answer would be:

North America: English

Latin America: Spanish

Europe: Russian

Africa: Arabic

Asia & Pacific: Chinese


So, the answer is more or less correct globally. English, Spanish, Russian, Arabic and Chinese are the most important world languages.
Guest11   Fri Mar 28, 2008 1:37 pm GMT
It is very difficult to choose only 1. For instance, there are 6 international languages in Europe: English, German, Russian, French, Spanish and Italian.

The same in all Continents or big areas. Which language you can choose in the Americas? English or Spanish. The answer is easy. Both, but not only one of them.




On the other hand, if you choose the most spoken in all the continents, the answer would be:

North America: English

Latin America: Spanish

Europe: Russian

Africa: Arabic

Asia & Pacific: Chinese


So, the answer is more or less correct globally. English, Spanish, Russian, Arabic and Chinese are the most important world languages.
Guest   Fri Mar 28, 2008 2:53 pm GMT
Italian an international language? Ridiculous.
guest   Fri Mar 28, 2008 10:00 pm GMT
<<In my experience, Texans are the only ones who first identify themselves by their state to foreigners. Touring the Oban distillery in Scotland, the tour guide was asking our tour group where everyone was from (Portugal, Russia, etc.) when he came to me and my two Californian friends, they said "America" and I said "Texas." >>

Texas is a whole 'nother country: The Republic of TEXAS

[d@mn Americans...]
Skippy   Sat Mar 29, 2008 5:21 am GMT
Actually, the official motto is "It's LIKE a whole 'nother country."