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Does anyone know exactly when and how the word "Yankee" (or "Yank", often used in Britain, usually as a derogatory term) originated? Is it old enough to date back to the War of Independence?
Leiv Eiriksson was first - Christoffer Columbus used a Viking map!
RE: Origin of the word, DRGWK36, Feb-28-05, 11:47 AM, (1) RE: Origin of the word "Yankee", NewEnglandRailFan, Feb-28-05, 07:41 PM, (2) RE: Origin of the word "Yankee", John_Reagon, Feb-28-05, 08:00 PM, (3) RE: Origin of the word "Yankee", KeltikSylk, Mar-01-05, 11:07 AM, (4) RE: Origin of the word "Yankee", mrmike, Mar-06-05, 05:49 PM, (5) RE: Origin of the word "Yankee", Erick_Cantu, Mar-06-05, 06:59 PM, (6)
There's this great site that lets you look for things like that. It's called "Google." http://www.wordorigins.org/index.htmScroll down to Yankee and click.Andy
NewEnglandRailFanMember since Jun-18-04 · 1846 posts
RE: Origin of the word "Yankee"
George Stienbrenner -Dave, Secretary of the Scrap the SD60F federation!
Former ALCo Schenectady, NY shop switcher #5, in North Creek, NY You can e-mail me at davej8010@aol.com -or- hrrc_7324@yahoo.com -or- feel free to aim me.
I've often wondered about this, especially now that I live in the South and fall under the term "Yankee". Although here it applies to everyone from north of the Mason Dixon line (the southern border of Pennsylvania) it is also used in the North to denote New Englanders. Apparently the citizens of Connecticut and Massachusetts are more Yankee than most Yankees. Even New Englanders use the term for themselves, as in "The New Yankee Workshop" on PBS, "The Yankee Magazine", or "The Fying Yankee" of Boston and Maine fame.One explanation I found on the web says "There was a large settlement of Dutch people in New York. Many Dutchmen (especially in those days) had the name of Jan (pronounce Yan) en Kees (pronounce Kase). There is where the name Yankees came from. Originally just meant for the Dutch settlers in New Amsterdam." I can see that happening, especially since I know how surnames got so corrupted in early America. My own German family name Muse (pronounced MuSEE) became Musick (pronounced music) in American English. It isn't hard to imagine Jan en Kees becoming Yankees.Considering the narrow application towards the inhabitants of the Northeastern states I'm inclined to agree. While that doesn't explain why the British (Yankees) and Spanish (yanquis)call all of us by that name, including Southerners, it might explain why we Americans use it for a small portion of our own countrymen.One other explanation I like is that it's a based on a Scothch word "yankie" meaning shrewd. That certainly fits the old stereotype of a New Englander. Maybe the British lost one to many bargains to the merchants of Boston.FWIWFrank MusickMoving America into the 19th Century! www.kelticsylk.com
Maybe it came to be because there were so many reasons of using it and the origins all stated are technically correct. Maybe, with so many similar sounding words and phrases being applicable in several laguages and dialects, it because an easy label to give an 'official' spelling even though it came from several different words meaning different things.Did anyone ever think about that possibility? Or is it just too obvious?"The F59PHI and Genesis are the lamest excuses for locomotives Amtrak has ever operated - accept it and move on. Hug an F40 before it's too late!"
"The F59PHI and Genesis are the lamest excuses for locomotives Amtrak has ever operated - accept it and move on. Hug an F40 before it's too late!"