I know it is a term for citizens of the northern states but where did the word come from?

It's probably from Dutch Janke, a diminutive of Jan (John).It was recorded in the late C17 as a nickname. [Source: Oxford English Dictionary ]

There are several theories regarding this word’s origins, none unassailable. One suggests that it came from Jan Kees, a dialectical form of Jan Kaas "John Cheese", 1102yankee.gif (2541 bytes) which is what the Flemish apparently called Dutchmen in the 16th and 17th centuries. Another theory identifies the word’s root simply as Janke, a diminutive of Dutch Jan, "John".

The Dutch lineage offered by both of these theories is attributable to the word originating in New England in the late 17th century, where there were many Dutch settlers. The earliest recorded use is about 1683 in the term Yankey Duch. By 1765 it was being used as a term of contempt for any native of New England, and not long thereafter it was applied to all Americans, especially by speakers from other countries. To this day Americans call their countrymen from New England yankees.

http://www.takeourword.com/Issue015.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yankee

[Referring to the wiki link ]In Britain 'Yank' is invariably derogatory, whatever the writer of the piece hopes or believes.I've never heard it used without some derogatory overtones, however slight.We don't say 'Yankee' at all. I would never refer to any Americans as 'Yanks'

We hear Americans refer to themselves or an American team as 'Yanks'. We tend to think of that as their privilege, not appreciating that, to them, it has no overtones.

Thanks guys

quote:

Originally posted by FredPuli:
We hear Americans refer to themselves or an American team as 'Yanks'. We tend to think of that as their privilege, not appreciating that, to them, it has no overtones.

The only Americans that refer to themselves as "Yanks" are north of the Mason Dixon Line Fred . Those Southern folks do mean it as a derogatory term when using it to or about us Yankees.

That just makes us Yanks feel more proud, we don't take it as an insult. Kind of like when someone tries to insult you, but you take that insult as a compliment.

I don't really know how to express what I mean, but I spent many years living in the "deep South" and have seen it thousands of times.

Everybody loves to hate the New York Yankees, (baseball team that used to be called the Invaders then the Highlanders) and us New Yorkers love that.

If my baseball trivia memory serves me well it was a Virginia newspaper that first called the Highlanders the "Yankees" and it wasn't meant as a compliment.

That's very interesting, Koz. I'd never thought about it in that way, that only 'northerners' call themselves Yanks even now.

Insult taken as compliment? In 1914, at the start of World War I, the Kaiser referred to British soldiers as 'a contemptible little army' The response? The British regular soldiers immediately started calling themselves 'the Contemptibles' and their veterans' associations proudly called themselves 'the Old Contemptibles' ever after

And so far as Canada is concerned, Canadians are regularly referred to as Canucks by Americans.I don't think there's a definitive answer as to where the term originated. It's said in an affectionate way, and I don't think any Canadians would take offence at being called a Canuck, unless it is used in the general context of a put-down. After all we do have the Vancouver Canucks hockey team.
However, if a Canadian, travelling in Europe, or elsewhere outside North America, is called an American, THAT is a major insult.

Same goes here Fred in regards to military “terms of endearment”.

The term “ Jarhead ” was originally meant (started during the World War II era) as a derogatory way of Sailors (Squids ) to identify Marines. The Marines took the name to heart and now take great pride in being called a “ Jarhead ”.

@ Canucks

quote:

Originally posted by dg:

However, if a Canadian, travelling in Europe, or elsewhere outside North America, is called an American, THAT is a major insult.

Absolutely right! Not sure what "Brits" get mistaken for (sentient human beings, possibly) but, in my student days, I spent time learning how to identify a New Zealand accent (both North and South Island). 'Kiwis' get used to being called Australians but the error still pains them . Assuming a girl from Auckland was an Australian was not a good way to start.There were definite bonus points for recognising which island she was from, too (Auckland is 'North Island' )

"To a foreigner, a Yankee is an American.
To an American, a Yankee is a Northerner.
To a Northerner, a Yankee is a New Englander.
To a New Englander, a Yankee is a Vermonter.
To a Vermonter, a Yankee is a person who eats apple pie for breakfast"

Having lived in the North (NY), New England (MA), the Midwest (IN), and the South (NC), this rings fairly true. You rarely hear "Yankee" being used at all in Massachusetts (except in reference to the baseball team - in which case it is always derogatory). It's much more common in the South referring to Northerners.

In the South, a "Yankee" is Northerner who comes to visit, then goes home.
A "Damn Yankee" is a Northerner who comes to visit, then stays!

quote:

Originally posted by Texan-In-Exile:
In the South, a "Yankee" is Northerner who comes to visit, then goes home.
A "Damn Yankee" is a Northerner who comes to visit, then stays!

And here a 'Scot' is a Briton who lives in Canada. (It's a technical term)

<--- now a Damn Yankee.

quote:

A "Damn Yankee" is a Northerner who comes to visit, then stays!

A friend of mine from Virginia reports that her father used the term "goddamnyankee." All one word.