Why is latin america call that way?

[jonatas]

in the english language the term "latin" can be sometimes used to specifically describe spanish/portuguese speaking culture in the americas (ie. for instance "latin music") .... of course french is a "latin" language and the french are historically (along with a good deal of germanic influence) "latin", especially in southern france, which shares essentially the "latin" southern mediterranean culture...

the french are a latin/germanic people, no doubt, but it would be inaccurate to call Canada a "latin" country... French Canadians do not refer to themselves very often as "latin" from what ive seen, because that usually implies "latin american"... ie. southern hemisphere, spanish/portuguese speaking.... i think that in english when we use "latin" as an adjective to describe a people or culture, in the context of "latin america", we mean spanish/portugese speaking, obviously... of course latin is associated with french in other contexts

we use "latin america" because spanish/portuguese are latin languages and cultures, but by the same token, in Canada at least, we do not refer to the French as "latins", or "latin americans"... they are "french canadians"...

a final word, languages and words are more like living organisms, they are not obviously logical sometimes... its best to understand their contexts

 

[Thorgalaeg]

We know what you refer when you say latin. It is totally incorrect thought.

Lets see, the word "Latin" has nothing to do with race. The people from south of France are as latin as the people from north, like a French speaker from Belgium or Switzerland. The french are not "latin-germanic" people. They would be a mix of mediterranean-celtic-germanic or something (as everybody in Europe indeed). Latin refers to lenguage exclusively. There is not a "latin race".

 

[jonatas]

OK, but Canada has French and English as official lenguages. So technically is a latinamerica country. And Quebec has 1/3 or more of all Canadian population...

About the Iberoamerican french enclaves, excepting Haiti all are overseas departaments of France, so not nations per-se, OTH Jamaica, Guyana, Barbados or Trinidad y Tobago all are english-speaking per-se nations...
So, following your reasoning It would be a lot more accurate call it Hispanic-Anglo America than Latinoamerica.

it is inaccurate in english to call Canada, or the french part of Canada, latin american...

Latin refers to lenguage exclusively.

there is no way you can limit the term "latin" so restrictively, not in english anyway

The french are not "latin-germanic" people. They would be a mix of mediterranean-celtic-germanic or something (as everybody in Europe indeed).

so you say everyone in europe is exactly the same?

 

[privatehudson]

Considering the influence Italians had on some parts of the region, and the "discovery" of the new world overall, it's not unfair to call it "latin" america for the language and cultural reasons already talked about.

Not too sure I'd be to happy remembering what the Iberians did to the southern and central americas though to be honest

 

[Thorgalaeg]

t is inaccurate in english to call Canada, or the french part of Canada, latin american...

Latin refers to lenguage exclusively.

there is no way you can limit the term "latin" so restrictively, not in english anyway

I dont want to limit nothing. I am telling you what "latin" means. You can call a chair "table" if you want.

 

[Desmond Hawkins]

It is easier than calling it Spano-Portugo land.

Anyways, the people seem different enough fromt he European ancestors (lots of Native blood), that they needed a new word for them. Why not Latin.

 

[amadeus]

And why are we called "Latinos", Sharpe?

Because some people don't get my jokes.

 

[Thorgalaeg]

Considering the influence Italians had on some parts of the region, and the "discovery" of the new world overall, it's not unfair to call it "latin" america for the language and cultural reasons already talked about.

Very interesting relations. Yes, italians in Argentina, Germans and Croats in Chile, Japanese in Peru... You know. We should call USA hispanoamerica too because there is large hispanic influence and because Ponce de Leon was the first european puting the foot in present day USA territory... or all North America Vikingoamerica because vikings "discovered" Terranova, dont we?

Not too sure I'd be to happy remembering what the Iberians did to the southern and central americas though to be honest

Once upon a time there was a peninsula called...

 

[luiz]

Latin America is fine by me.

In fact it might be more accurate then Iberoamerica, since it includes the french possessions, and after all we're not that similar to our iberian colonisers.

(To be prefect honest, I don't like to place all Latin-American nations in one disform group. As I like to point out, there is no latin-american culture).

 

[Thorgalaeg]

Are you including Canada?

 

[FredLC]

Because some people don't get my jokes.

Underestimated you.

Not gonna happen again.

Regards .

 

[privatehudson]

Very interesting relations. Yes, italians in Argentina, Germans and Croats in Chile, Japanese in Peru... You know. We should call USA hispanoamerica too because there is large hispanic influence and because Ponce de Leon was the first european puting the foot in present day USA territory... or all North America Vikingoamerica because vikings "discovered" Terranova, dont we?

On that logic Italy has a good claim on Venezuala since they (well Venetians) discovered it

However, I was making a serious point, not being silly about things

Once upon a time there was a peninsula called...

Perhaps another reason would be that despite their influence, Spain and Portugal do not own South America any more. It would be like calling North America "English/French/Spanish America" or similar, it's just not logical anymore

 

[Cuivienen]

You are mistaken ! Though not completely.

Suriname has French Guyana to its east, and British Guyana to its west.

But Suriname was a Britisch colony until 1667:

A few last bits of information about a continental oddity and world backwater.

Suriname was once called Dutch Guiana. When the English drove the Dutch from North America, they gave them part of Guiana as recompense. Their official language is Dutch, not English, which means the "Latin America" excludes them, too, and Dutch has very few Latin influences (while English is about 40% Latin-derived). Interestingly, there are more Hindus than any other religion in Suriname.

Languages: Dutch (official), English (widely spoken), Sranang Tongo (Surinamese, sometimes called Taki-Taki, is native language of Creoles and much of the younger population and is lingua franca among others), Hindustani (a dialect of Hindi), Javanese

Religions: Hindu 27.4%, Muslim 19.6%, Roman Catholic 22.8%, Protestant 25.2% (predominantly Moravian), indigenous beliefs 5%

Source: http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ns.html

 

[Hamlet]

On that logic Italy has a good claim on Venezuala since they (well Venetians) discovered it

Nope. The name derives from aborigonal huts that were built on stilts above water, and were witnessed by the original Spanish explorers, hence "Little Venice."

The Venetians would have had to have been very lost indeed to have discovered Venezuela, being only a regional Mediterranean sea power.

 

[privatehudson]

Interesting, that's the first time I heard it described that way Never mind, the other points I raised remains, so I don't really care

 

[Duddha]

The term Latin America came from Emperor Maximillian of Mexico. As an Austrian, he thought much of the Americas shared a 'Latin' culture with France, his supporter. He hoped that the creation of this imagined community would support his rule, it didn't. The term was largely continued by Anglo-Americans who thought all people south of the border were bacisly the same and also better defined the American sphere of influence in the southern hemisphere.

So, it is a made up term, created by outsiders to define a complex and amorphous 'other'.

 

[samildanach]

Originally posted by Stapel
This did lead however to the Second Anglo-Dutch War, from 1665 to 1667. This war was finally settled in june 1667 by The Dutch greatest admiral 'De Ruyter' who sailed to Chatham Dockyard, capturing the "Royal Charles" – the pride of the English navy, and sinking or burning three other great ships, - the "Royal James," "Royal Oake" and "Loyal London", and a number of others.

I think this qualifies as a digression Is this a manifestation of the same trait that causes Brits to bring up WWII in all conversations regardless of topic? Personally, it doesn't bother me to be reminded of catastrophic English defeats even though I'm British. I don't know why that is - it's inexplicable.

 

[Thorgalaeg]

Interesting, that's the first time I heard it described that way Never mind, the other points I raised remains, so I don't really care

What points?

Ah, you mean we should call Iberoamerica latin america because they speak latin?

 

[privatehudson]

What points?

Ah, you mean we should call Iberoamerica latin america because they speak latin?

No, I mean that calling it after it's Former owners is utterly illogical You don't see northern America called "English* America" or similar now do you?

That and the fact that other latin-derived languages speaking people's reside there also

*And yes I am aware that other countries once owned that area

Do pay attention please

 

[Xen]

IIRC, the term "latin" refers to Italy, Spain, and Portugal; coined mor eor less during the time when Spian controlled portugal, and when Spain also owned around half of Italy; bearing this in mind, and that at the time, Roman civlization became the god of europe, its not to difficult to belive that "latin America" cmae to be the areas discoverd by Spain, portuigese, and a few Itallians who tagged along, or had some impact (like the Genoan Coloumbus, or Amerigo Vespuchii, of whom the enitee new world is named after...)