1 origin , history of word
1.1 usage
1.2 rejected etymologies
1.3 dutch origin
origin , history of word
loyalist newspaper cartoon boston ridicules yankie doodles militia have encircled british forces inside city
early usage
the root of term uncertain. in 1758, british general james wolfe made earliest recorded use of word yankee refer people became united states. referred new england soldiers under command yankees: can afford 2 companies of yankees, , more because better ranging , scouting either work or vigilance . later british use of word derogatory, in cartoon of 1775 ridiculing yankee soldiers. new englanders employed word in neutral sense; pennamite–yankee war, example, name given series of clashes in 1769 on land titles in pennsylvania between yankee settlers connecticut , pennamite settlers pennsylvania.
the meaning of yankee has varied on time. in 18th century, referred residents of new england descended original english settlers of region. mark twain used word in sense following century in novel connecticut yankee in king arthur s court, published in 1889. 1770s, british people applied term person became united states. in 19th century, americans in southern united states employed word in reference americans northern united states, though not recent immigrants europe. thus, visitor richmond, virginia commented in 1818, enterprising people strangers; scots, irish, , new england men, or yankees, called .
rejected etymologies
many etymologies have been suggested word yankee, modern linguists reject theories suggest originated in indian languages. includes theory purported british officer in 1789, said derived cherokee word eankke ( coward )—despite fact no such word existed in cherokee language. theory surmised word borrowed wyandot pronunciation of french l anglais, meaning englishman or english language , sounded y an-gee.
american musicologist oscar sonneck debunked romanticized false etymology in 1909 work report on star-spangled banner , hail columbia , america , yankee doodle . cited popular theory claimed word came tribe called yankoos, said mean invincible . story claimed new englanders had defeated tribe after bloody battle, , remaining yankoo indians transferred name victors—who agreeable indian custom . sonneck noted multiple american writers since 1775 had repeated story if fact, despite perceived holes in it. first, noted theory proposed @ start of american revolution , have been welcome anti-english rhetoric, way reappropriate term. second, had never been tradition of indian tribe transfer name other peoples, according sonneck, nor had indian name ever been adopted self-identifier settlers. third , importantly, there had never been tribe called yankoos.
dutch origin
new netherland northwest, , new england northeast.
most linguists dutch sources, noting extensive interaction between colonial dutch in new netherland (now largely new york, new jersey, delaware, , western connecticut) , colonial english in new england (massachusetts, rhode island, , eastern connecticut). michael quinion , patrick hanks argue term refers dutch feminine diminutive name janneke or masculine diminutive name janke, anglicized yankee due dutch pronunciation of j english y. quinion , hanks posit used nickname dutch-speaking american in colonial times , have grown include non-dutch colonists, well. alternatively, dutch given names jan ( john ; pronounced yan) , kees ( cornelius ; pronounced case) have long been common, , 2 combined single name (e.g., jan kees de jager). anglicized spelling yankee could, in way, have been used mock dutch americans. chosen name jan kees may have been partly inspired dialectal rendition of jan kaas ( john cheese ), generic nickname southern dutch used dutch people living in north.
the online etymology dictionary gives origin around 1683, when applied insultingly dutch americans (especially freebooters) english. linguist jan de vries notes there mention of pirate named dutch yanky in 17th century. life , adventures of sir launcelot greaves (1760) contains passage, haul forward thy chair again, take thy berth, , proceed thy story in direct course, without yawing dutch yanky. @ point reappropriated dutch settlers of new amsterdam started using against english colonists of neighboring connecticut.
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