Usonian

English

Alternative forms

• usonian (rare)
• USonian
• Usonan (nonstandard)

Etymology

Sense 1, Usona +‎ -ian, or Usonia +‎ -an.

Senses 2–4, Usonia +‎ -an.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /juːˈsoʊni.ən/

Adjective

Usonian (not comparable)

1. Of or relating to the United States of America.

   This much was already evident in the opinions expressed by Usonian politicians and ideologues following the end of the War of 1898.

   • 1956, W. L. McAtee, “Facetious Monickers for American Birds”, in American Speech, volume 31, number 3, page 180:

     It is hoped that every reader will have a sufficient share of the general sense of humor to enjoy, and not to take offense at, such bits of Usonian and Canadian lingo.

   • 2003, Toshiko Mori, Materials, Fabrication + Performance: The Journal of the School of Architecture and Planning, page 121:

     Right below Juan Ponce is the Palace of the Fortaleza de Santa Catalina drawn in such a way so as to highlight the Puerto Rican and the Usonian flags waving above.

2. Of Frank Lloyd Wright's vision for a utopian United States.

   The great Usonian Life, the universal life of our own true democracy.

   • 1936 (2000), John Dos Passos, The Big Money, page 346:

     only in freedom can we build the Usonian city. His [Wright's] plans are coming to life.

3. Of or relating to a style of construction introduced by Frank Lloyd Wright.

   Their residential design is strongly influenced by Prairie and Usonian architecture.

   • 2002, Paul Adamson, Marty Arbunich, Ernie Braun, Eichler, page 94:

     His ability to design buildings to fit their locations was one of his great talents, and his Usonian houses, despite the highly systematized construction methods used, were always attuned to the particulars of each building location. The composition of the exterior walls and the structural system was repeated from house to house […] yet each Usonian was distinct.

4. Pertaining to Usonia, New York, or similar Wrightian communities.

   Okemos, Michigan, was to be the site of Wright's first Usonian community.

   • 2001, Roland Reisley, Frank Lloyd Wright, John Timpane, Usonia, New York:

     As the median age of Usonian children grew, […]

Usage notes

• The comparative and superlative, as in his most Usonian design, are not common. (See citations.) Generally capitalized.

Quotations

• For more quotations using this term, see Citations:Usonian.

Synonyms

• (of the United States of America): United Statian, US American, United Statesian, American, US-ian, Usanian
• (Wrightian architecture): Prairie, Prairie-style

Translations

of the USA — see also US-American

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 美國的／美国的 (zh) (Měiguó de)

• Esperanto: usona (eo)
• Finnish: yhdysvaltalainen (fi)
• French: états-unien (fr) m, étasunien (fr), étatsunien (fr)
• German: US-amerikanisch (de)
• Hungarian: egyesült államokbeli (hu), amerikai egyesült államokbeli, USA-beli
• Ido: Usana, Usala
• Italian: statunitense (it)
• Japanese: 米国の (ja) (べいこくの, Beikoku no)
• Korean: 미국(美國)의 (Migug-ui)
• Polish: usański
• Portuguese: estado-unidense (pt), estadunidense (pt)
• Russian: шта́товский (ru) (štátovskij)
• Spanish: estadounidense (es)
• Swahili: Kimarekani
• Volapük: Lamerikänik (vo)

of Usonian architecture

• Esperanto: usonia
• Italian: usoniano
• Portuguese: usoniano
• Spanish: usoniano (es)

Noun

Usonian (plural Usonians)

1. An inhabitant or citizen of the United States of America.
   • 2004, Juan Bruce-Novoa, “Twenty years of transatlantic Usonianism”, in Walter Grünzweig, editor, The United States in Global Contexts: American Studies After 9/11 and Iraq, page 23:

     As a Usonian of Celtic-Franco/Gallego Mexican-Quaker-Catholic-German-Blackfoot-Rock&Roll descent, I feel at home.

2. An inhabitant of the Wrightian community of Usonia, New York.
   • 2001, Roland Reisley, Frank Lloyd Wright, John Timpane, Usonia, New York, page 13:

     "Those were the best of the arguments," one Usonian remembered.

3. A house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in his Usonian style.
   • 1994, Edward Russo, Illinois historical journal, Illinois State Historical Society, page 333:

     Rosenbaum does an admirable job of characterizing the philosophy behind the Usonian and its particular place in time.

   • 2002, Paul Adamson, Marty Arbunich, Ernie Braun, Eichler, page 94:

     His ability to design buildings to fit their locations was one of his great talents, and his Usonian houses, despite the highly systematized construction methods used, were always attuned to the particulars of each building location. The composition of the exterior walls and the structural system was repeated from house to house […] yet each Usonian was distinct.

Synonyms

• (inhabitant or citizen of the United States of America): American, US American, United Statesian, US-ian, Usanian; see also Thesaurus:American

Derived terms

• Usonianism

Translations

a citizen of the USA, as opposed to an inhabitant of America as a whole — see also US-American

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 美國人／美国人 (zh) (Měiguórén)

• Esperanto: usonano (eo)
• Finnish: yhdysvaltalainen (fi)
• French: États-Unien (fr) m, Étasunien (fr), Étatsunien (fr)
• German: US-Amerikaner (de) m, US-Amerikanerin (de) f
• Ido: Usano (io)
• Italian: statunitense (it)
• Japanese: 米国人 (ja) (べいこくじん, Beikokujin)
• Korean: 미국인(美國人) (ko) (Migugin)
• Portuguese: estado-unidense (pt), estadunidense (pt)
• Russian: ^{(please verify)} граждани́н США m (graždanín SŠA), ^{(please verify)} гражда́нка США f (graždánka SŠA), штатовец (ru) m (štatovec), штатовка f (štatovka)
• Spanish: estadounidense (es)
• Swahili: Mmarekani (sw) class 1/2
• Vietnamese: người Hoa Kỳ
• Volapük: Lamerikänan (vo)

References

• "Usonian" in Concise Oxford English Dictionary, 11th edition revised, Oxford Dictionaries, 2008.