LogFAQs > #891747160

American has two meanings:
1. From the continent(s) of America.
2. From the country United States of America.

I don't see the huge problem. If unclear then just specify.

American coffee beans -> From the continent, they don't grow coffee large scale in the US.
American aircraft carrier -> Military is country specific and I don't think other American countries even have those.

Questionmarktarius posted...

Afroeurasia, Americas, Australia, Antarctica. That's it.

That's just landmasses. And America pretty recently connected north and south. Landmasses =/= continents. Your list arbitrarily leaves out Greenland and Madagascar.
Continents are arbitrary too, but they're based on landmass, tectonics, history (a big part), culture, biology etc. That's why sometimes America is split in two, Eurasia is sometimes counted as one, and Antarctica is sometimes left out (big landmass but no people).

dainkinkaide posted...

Mexico, or more properly, Estados Unidos Mexicanos, the United Mexican States. Likewise, Brazil is a federated republic of an inseparable union of states. Granted, at the time the United States of America chose its name, neither of these countries had yet united their states, but it was still mighty arrogant to assume that no other countries in America would form a union of states.

I meant to say that no other unison of nations had taken on the name of the continent yet. Since they were a unison of american nations, and the name was free, I think it was fair, and not arrogant. Though it might not have been the best choice. I don't think they prohibited other new nations from picking the same name, though none did. They were called united colonies before. Even though there were other colonies around. There's also a United Kingdom (UK) even though there are a lot of other kingdoms.

To be honest I thought of Mexico and Brazil as just two countries. But it makes sense that it's a unison of smaller countries/states/provinces/districts. Most countries are.
The Netherlands was originally the Seven Provinces.
Spain was made up of a lot of smaller countries (some want out).
Same with Italy and Germany; lots of small kingdoms united.