Why Americans are called Yankees
Discussions have been going on about the origin of the Americans' nickname "Yankee" for a very long time. There are many versions, one of which has Dutch roots. According to her, the word "Yankee" comes from the diminutive name Jan — Yanke. So it's possible that the nickname just means "little Yan". Interestingly, before this nickname was applied to Americans, it was worn by Dutch pirates. Then it had an exceptionally contemptuous coloration and was considered almost a swear word.
The nickname Yankee first appeared in that part of North America, which was called New Holland. It existed from 1625 to 1667. Now the states of New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware are located in this place. But the first public use of this word was recorded only in 1765. Then Vice Admiral of the British Fleet Horatio Nelson wrote a contemptuous letter to the authorities of the United States, in which he called them Yankees.
But the Dutch Americans themselves did not consider this word offensive. They were proud of him and even sang in the song "Yankee Doodle", which became a revolutionary anthem. By the way, it still remains the official anthem of the state of Connecticut and is played on all holidays and official events.
There is another version of the origin of the word "Yankee", claiming to be reliable. According to her, the word once looked like "eankke" and was taken from the language of the Cherokee Indians. It translates as "coward". With this nickname, Indian warriors contemptuously called New England men who preferred to fight with long guns because of the stockades of forts.
By the middle of the 19th century, this nickname finally acquired a negative color. During the Civil War, Confederate supporters called Northerners "Yankees." Now this nickname no longer causes negativity among most Americans. It is even used in the name of the New York Yankees baseball team.
It so happened that the nickname Yankee was first used to residents of certain regions, then referred to the Northerners, and even later in relation to all Americans. But only foreigners who are not too savvy in the matter can call all residents of the United States this way. Residents of the southern states have never considered themselves Yankees, and such familiarity will not be appreciated.