Yankee
Yankee,term of unknown origin, applied during the 18th century to New Englanders. One hypothetical origin is an attempt by the Indians to pronounce either English or Anglais. This seems unlikely, since the word was first applied to the Dutch in the 17th century and may have been derived from Janke, diminutive of the common Dutch name Jan, or from Jankees, a blend of Jan and Cornelis. At some time in the 18th century the name began to be applied to the English colonists rather than the Dutch. The song “Yankee Doodle” did much to establish the name, which was adopted by the Americans after it had been contemptuously applied by the British in the Revolution. During the Civil War it was invidiously applied to Northerners, usually as “damn Yankee.” During World War I it had mainly a kindly, facetious connotation, and long before that it was applied to Americans generally, although it is more properly restricted to the typical New...
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