America and Americans

[FRITZ JUENGLING]

In all the languages which with I am familiar, the word for someone or something from the US is "American"  (of course, with variant spellings, pronunciations, and endings).  Yes, many people know and use 'Yankee' as well.  What do the Danes call people from the US (aiIdk)?
It will be interesting to see whether we have this same discussion in a few years if a "United States of Europe" is created.
I never use 'the states.'  I would say "United States," though.
Fritz
>>> Michael Vezie <mlv at POBOX.COM> 02/21/02 10:23AM >>>
Another anecdotal thought about "Americans".  When I was an exchange
student in Denmark back in 1990, a fellow student (Canadian) got upset
with me for introducing myself to the group as "an American".  He told
me I should say I'm from "the states", not "America".

Frankly, it seems silly to me.  For a Canadian to claim to be from America
is just plain wrong.  There is no continent called "America".  It's "North
America" (or "South America", or collectively, "the Americas").  So the
only geographical region that can be called "America" is the United States
of America.

Michael