Japanese

Alternative forms

• 亜米利加, 亜墨利加

Proper noun

アメリカ ‎(romaji Amerika)

1. America (as in North or South America)

   Generally not used in isolation in this sense, due to ambiguity.

   南 (みなみ)アメリカ、北 (きた)アメリカ、中 (ちゅう)央 (おう)アメリカ

   Minami Amerika, Kita Amerika, Chūō Amerika

   South America, North America, Central America

   アメリカ州 (しゅう)

   Amerika-shū

   America; the Americas

2. America (United States of America)
   • 1999 September 16, Motohiro Katou, “ヤコブの階たい段だん [Jacob's Ladder]”, in Q.E.D. 証しょう明めい終しゅう了りょう [Q.E.D. Quod Erat Demonstrandum], volume 4 (fiction, in Japanese), Tokyo: Kodansha, ISBN 4-06-333696-4, page 90:

     その度 (たび)にアメリカが出 (で)てって爆 (ばく)弾 (だん)落 (お)とせってのか？

     Sono tabi ni Amerika ga dete tte bakudan otose tte no ka?

     You think America should butt in and go drop some bombs every time?

     当 (あ)たり前 (まえ)さ‼　それが〝世 (せ)界 (かい)の警 (けい)察 (さつ)〞たるアメリカの役 (やく)目 (め)だろ‼

     Atarimae sa‼ Sore ga 〝sekai no keisatsu〞 taru Amerika no yakume daro‼

     Well, duh‼ America is the "world police" after all‼

Usage notes

Kanji forms include 亜米利加 and 亜墨利加. These are ateji (当て字) that were applied historically, and these spellings are seldom used in modern Japanese. However, the abbreviation 米 ‎(Bei) is used quite frequently.

Synonyms

• (United States): 米国 (べいこく) ‎(Beikoku)
• (United States of America): アメリカ合 (がっ)衆 (しゅう)国 (こく) ‎(Amerika Gasshūkoku)
• (the Americas; the US): 米 (べい) ‎(Bei) (abbreviation)

Derived terms

References

1. ↑ 1988, 国語大辞典（新装版） (Kokugo Dai Jiten, Revised Edition) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan
2. ↑ 1995, 大辞泉 (Daijisen) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, ISBN 4-09-501211-0
3. ↑ 1998, 広辞苑 (Kōjien), Fifth Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Iwanami Shoten, ISBN 4000801112
4. ↑ 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, ISBN 4-385-13905-9
5. ↑ 1997, 新明解国語辞典 (Shin Meikai Kokugo Jiten), Fifth Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, ISBN 4-385-13143-0
6. ↑ 1998, NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 (NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: NHK, ISBN 978-4-14-011112-3