# Αμερική



## modus.irrealis

Hi,

I was wondering -- when a Greek person says Αμερική, what geographical area do they mean? Or better yet, what possible areas can they be referring to?


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## Whodunit

According to Wikipedia, it refers to the whole continent, including North, Middle and South America.


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## modus.irrealis

Whodunit, thanks. The article too mentions that the US is also called Αμερική, so maybe now I should ask how likely is it that someone says Αμερική to mean the continent and not the country.


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## anthodocheio

Hello modus!

My first thought was; both options have the same chances..

I'm not sure though since every time *I* use the word, my next move is to make clear which one I mean, the USA or the whole continent..

It is though definetely sure that we call this way the country.. I suppose that you already knew that...

Saludos


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## modus.irrealis

Thanks -- maybe I should explain why I'm asking -- a Greek person, who had been to the US and Canada, said here (Toronto) that this was her last day στην Αμερική and I want to know if I'd be justified in getting upset  (but it seems not, since she was, hopefully, just referring to the continent, even if she only visited the Βόρεια part).


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## Whodunit

Modus.irrealis, don't you think that many people in the world call the US "America?" I often have the same feeling Anthodocheio mentioned, because whenever I say "Amerika" in German, I'm referring to the US, but that is not correct.

I should have added in my previous post that I _think_ many Greeks refer to the US as Αμερική and that they often need to clarify whether they mean the state or the whole continent. Βόρεια Αμερική, however, is more clear to me, as it includes Canada and Mexico as well. I wonder whether this should be different in Greek, but I don't think it is.


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## modus.irrealis

Whodunit said:


> Modus.irrealis, don't you think that many people in the world call the US "America?"



That is what I think/thought, which is why I found it distressing that Toronto was mentioned as the last stop στην Αμερική.


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## Whodunit

modus.irrealis said:


> That is what I think/thought, which is why I found it distressing that Toronto was mentioned as the last stop στην Αμερική.


 
This may be a dumb question, but what does στην mean at all? You use it like a preposition, like "in America," is that right?


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## modus.irrealis

Whodunit said:


> This may be a dumb question, but what does στην mean at all? You use it like a preposition, like "in America," is that right?



Sorry about that -- I didn't even realize it, but you're right that it (here) means "in" (literally it's "in the" but Greek uses "the" with proper names).


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## ireney

Naaah, you shouldn't take it the wrong way. Since your friend was in Canada she took it as granted that it was understood she was talking about the continent.

"Latin" or "South" America is mentioned with one of the two adjectives as often as not but the rest of the continent usually gets no adjective at all. As anthodocheio mentioned, if necessary we clarify what we refer to (continent or country) but we wouldn't if we thought it wasn't necessary.


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