[Freeciv-Dev] Re: U.S.A (sigh)

[Eric E Moore <e.e.moore@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Most citizens of the united states consider themselves "Americans".  I
can do web serches to prove this one, but I think we can take it as
given.

Searched for 'american' in the london times web site.  Got 7801 hits,
the top 5 or so I checked, all used American to indicate a
resident/citizen/feature of the united states (e.g. American
Politics).

Searched for Yankee on the london times web site.  150 hits, the top
20 all related to the New York Yankee's baseball team.

So even in English (that is, in england) conventional usage, American
is a far more appropriate term than Yankee.

The formal title of the country is the United States of America, so
American is a logical construction, if it does conflict with another
use of the word, but then, it would hardly be the first synonym in the
english language.

The OED has:

American: 

  A. adj

  1. a. Belonging to the continent of America. Also, of or pertaining
     to its inhabitants.  b. American language (usu. with the), (i) a
     language of American Indians; (ii) American English (see sense
     3). Also American tongue.

  2. a. Belonging to the British colonies in North America (obs.).
     b. Belonging to the United States.  c. U.S. spec. (See
     quot. a1861.)

  ....

  B. n.

  1. An American Indian.

  2. A native of America of European descent; esp. a citizen of the
     United States. Now simply, a native or inhabitant of North or
     South America (often with qualifying word, as Latin American,
     North American); a citizen of the United States.

  3. A ship belonging to America. 

  ....

  5. American English; the form of English spoken in the United States. 
 
So, according to the OED, "American" is formally a proper term for a
citizen of the United States of America.  For yankee it has:

  B. n.

  1. a. U.S. A nickname for a native or inhabitant of New England, or,
     qmore widely, of the northern States generally; during the War of
     Secession applied by the Confederates to the soldiers of the
     Federal army.

     b. By English writers and speakers commonly applied to a native
     or inhabitant of the United States generally; an American.

  ...

  B. adj.  

     a. That is a Yankee; pertaining to or characteristic of Yankees
     (often with the connotation of cleverness, cunning, or cold
     calculation); loosely, belonging to the United States, American.

Certainly then, formally, in the US (where no small amount of
english-speaking freeciv players will live) Yankee is wrong, and
outside it's not much (if any) than American.

If anyone has any better suggestions, by all means, make them :)

If not...  is there a FAQ we can put it in? :)

  -Eric Moore