"cultural and geographical region of inland Eastern U.S.," 1880s, from the Appalachian Mountains, which are its core. Earlier Appalachia was proposed as a better name for "United States of America" by Washington Irving in 1839 (though he preferred Alleghenia) and he may get the credit for coinage of the word (see America).

fem. proper name, Latin, but said to be of Germanic origin and mean literally "laborious" (cognates: Old Norse ama "to trouble"); the name was assimilated with Roman gens name Aemilia.

1570s, originally "one of the aboriginal peoples discovered in the Western Hemisphere by Europeans," from Modern Latin Americanus, from America (q.v.). The original sense is now Native Americans; the sense of "resident of North America of European (originally British) descent" is from 1765.

1590s, "pertaining to the Western Hemisphere and its aboriginal inhabitants," from Modern Latin Americanus, from America (q.v.); the sense of "pertaining to the residents of North America of European (originally British) descent" is recorded by 1640s; later "pertaining to the United States." French Américain, Spanish and Italian Americano, German Amerikanisch. Fem. form Americaness attested from 1838. The American beauty rose so called from 1886. American English as a sub-language attested from 1806; Amerenglish is from 1974.

artificial radioactive element, 1946, from America + metallic element ending -ium.

word-forming element used since late 18c. as "of or about America."

also Meso-America, cultural or economic region comprising central and southern Mexico and northern Central America, by 1948, from Spanish Mesoamérica (by 1943); see meso- "middle" + America. Related: Mesoamerican.