Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site im4u.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!ut-sally!im4u!jsq From: jsq@im4u.UUCP (John Quarterman) Newsgroups: net.politics,net.nlang Subject: Re: One for our side Message-ID: <623@im4u.UUCP> Date: Fri, 8-Nov-85 00:06:13 EST Article-I.D.: im4u.623 Posted: Fri Nov 8 00:06:13 1985 Date-Received: Sat, 9-Nov-85 05:42:14 EST References: <973@decwrl.UUCP> <12580@rochester.UUCP> Reply-To: jsq@im4u.UUCP (John Quarterman) Organization: U. Texas CS Dept., Austin, Texas Lines: 35 Xref: linus net.politics:11214 net.nlang:3397 In article <36@utastro.UUCP> nather@utastro.UUCP (Ed Nather) writes: >> Anyone from Latin America will tell you an inhabitant of the US is a yankee. >> And you better believe, that's an insult! >> Scott Anderson > >Odd. They called me a "gringo" ... I assume that's a compliment? Actually, that's yanqui, unless the other is greengo. A common hispanoamericano term for the those of us north of El Rio Bravo del Norte (the Rio Grande to you) is norteamericano (sorry Canadians: we didn't choose it; they did). Furthermore, latinoamericano is considered inaccurate by most of those to whom it refers (they don't speak Latin, after all). They prefer hispanoamericano (Hispanic American). I think I've seen iberoamericano used to include Portuguese speakers. Many Mexicans object to norteamericanos calling their country The United States. You see, the official name of Mexico is Los Estados Unidos Mexicanos. And there are several other countries in this hemisphere which are "the United States of Whatever". Even The United States of America is considered to be in dubious taste, because of the multiple meanings of "America". I call it "the States," myself: there's a name that pleases no-one! Another good one is "The Country Without a Name." Wasn't it Edgar Allen Poe who proposed the name "Appalachia" (referring to the Appalachian Mountains)? The country was smaller then, though. I understand that in Argentina "gringo" means "italian". I would mention the origin of the word, but doubtless everyone knows it already. -- John Quarterman, UUCP: {ihnp4,seismo,harvard,gatech}!ut-sally!im4u!jsq ARPA Internet and CSNET: jsq@im4u.UTEXAS.EDU, formerly jsq@im4u.ARPA