The word "Yankee" can be heard less and less. They use it to refer to persons who have American citizenship, while the Americans themselves do not really like this naming, preferring the classic "American man"
Instructions
Step 1
The word "Yankee" was first used in 1758 by a British Army general, James Wolfe, to refer to his New England soldiers. Obviously, the word has a connotation of disrespect and disregard in its meaning. So, from the XVIII century. the history of the term begins.
Step 2
There are several etymological relatives of the term "Yankee". The first of them is Indian. According to this theory, the "forefather" of the Yankees - the word "eankke" means cowardly people and was pronounced by the Indians in relation to the colonists of New England. This theory has no documentary evidence, therefore, scientists are considered far-fetched.
Step 3
The following theory suggests that the word comes from a combination of "Jan" and "Kees" - the most common names among the Dutch colonists who inhabited the present territory of Alabama. Which was also applied to the colonists. In emotional color, it approached the meaning of the word "fritz" during the Second World War. During the War of Independence (1775-1783), the word "Yankees" was used by soldiers in relation to the rebels. The word covered not only the opposing side, but also all the inhabitants of the Northern States. Later, from the time of the Civil War (1861-1865), the name "Yankees" was strengthened for the inhabitants of the six Northern States. Southerners opposed themselves and the opposition in this way. Here, too, by the way, there is a tinge of disdain and a desire to insult.
Step 4
At the beginning of the XIX century. the word is widely used in English-speaking countries, for example, New Zealand, Australia. It is used to separate oneself from the Americans, but now in a truncated version of "Jank". It is possible that this form is still present in the English language. Nowadays, the name "Yankees" is associated with all the inhabitants of America and the natives of the states.
Step 5
In the sixties of the XX century. the slogan "Yankee, go home!" It is connected with the demand of the Cubans to liberate the island and send home the American troops stationed at Guantanamo Bay. However, for example, in Japan this slogan could be heard before. Soon after the end of World War II, the slogan "Ami, go home!" Appears in France, as an appeal to the British. In its general meaning, one can trace the ethnocultural meaning of the word, the attitude towards the people.
Step 6
The word "Yankees" entered the Russian language at the end of the 19th century. and, in the dictionary of V. N. Angle, interpreted as "Yankee, or Inca. Americans ".
