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From: deb5@midway.uchicago.edu (Daniel von Brighoff)
Subject: Re: Let's Name the USA People!
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Date: Fri, 7 Mar 1997 23:36:00 GMT
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In article <E6nIGo.4w3@scn.org>, Leland Bryant Ross <lilandbr@scn.org> wrote:
>
>In a previous article, deb5@midway.uchicago.edu (Daniel von Brighoff) says:
>
>>A Kiwi on one of my lists uses "USAmericans", which seems a reasonable
>>compromise.  At least it came under scrutiny not long ago and no one
>>seemed to have a problem with it.
>
>I have no problem with it in oblique or accusative cases, but the 
>nominative is clearly WEAmericans, 

Is it?  Well, good thing that English doesn't have a nominative case!

>which confuses the issue--plus if a 
>Kiwi uses it it sounds to me like he's fantasizing some bizarre new form 
>of reverse irredentism or Manifest Destiny or something, since (to me at 
>least) by "USAmericans" is implied the speakers self-identification 
>therewith...

I suppose if I thought it were pronounced like the clause "us Americans",
I might share your concern.  When I subvocalise it, it comes out as
['juw'Es@'mejrIknz], which seems free enough of irredentism to me.


-- 
	 Daniel "Da" von Brighoff    /\          Dilettanten
	(deb5@midway.uchicago.edu)  /__\         erhebt Euch
				   /____\      gegen die Kunst!
