What is the language "British"?

[Mike Wright]

Robin Laing wrote:
> Guillermo Garron wrote:
> 
>> On 8/28/06, Ed Greshko <Ed.Greshko at greshko.com> wrote:
>>
>>> David Fletcher wrote:
>>> > On Monday 28 August 2006 15:02, Ed Greshko wrote:
>>> >> They are not the same in the context of language.  "English" is a
>>> >> language while (whilst) "British-English" is regional.  In
>>> >> "British-English" defense is written "defence".
>>> >
>>> > I think you've got it the wrong way around. "Defence" is the 
>>> correct spelling.
>>>
>>> Both are correct.
>>>
>>> > In the American regional variation "defence" is written "defense". 
>>> It's not
>>
>>
>> When you all say American, you mean US and Canada or only US, as lot
>> of US guys "think" that America is from Canada to Mexico (including
>> alaska, Hawaii and others), while actually America is from Alaska to
>> Tierra del fuego in Argentina.
>>

I'd like to comment in our defense (with an 's').  My self and family 
are citizens of the USA as were our forebears for many generations prior 
so I think I can speak to this as an "American".

This shouldn't be so difficult.

Americans are residents of "the Americas".  This includes us all, Robin.

North and South Americans are from their respective continents.

People from the "United States of America" are properly referred to as 
Americans from the United States of America, or United States Americans. 
  It should be apparent why we shorten the term in common usage amongst 
ourselves to just "Americans".

> 
> This is one of my pet peeves and a way to dig at those from the US.  

What we don't understand is the peevishness that requires that "dig".

> I live in Canada so when someone says American, I say that I am one as 
> well.  

As you are.

The US citizens usually mean just themselves.

That is correct.  The vast majority of us here live far from either 
border and we do not seem to misunderstand ourselves; but neither are we 
so parochial as to exclude other, non United States Americans, from also 
rightly calling themselves American.

> 
> I guess if they want to use the term American citizens, they should look 
> at all the Mexicans that want to enter the US and accept them.  :)
> 

That was just a cheap shot.

By the way, the United States is the only country in North or South 
America that has the word America on its passport so perhaps that 
entitles us a bit of poetic license (with an 's').

There were my 2 cents.  Fun subject, even if Way Off Topic.

Mike Wright

ps. My partner went to school in Canada and I can get by in Spanish.