Yankee en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /ˈjeɪ̯ŋ.ki/ æ-raising
- /ˈjæŋ.ki/ without æ-raising
- /ˈjɛ̃ŋ.ki/ æ-raising
- (Australia) audio
Etymology
First attested in 1765, when it was described as "a name of derision … given by the Southern people on the Continent to those of New England". Various suggestions have been made as to its origin: that it derives from a Cherokee word meaning "slave" or "coward" and was applied to the New Englanders by the Virginians because the former refused to aid the latter in a war against the Cherokees; that it derives from Yengees, an Indian corruption of English; and that it derives from Janke, a pet form of the common Dutch forename Jan. The OED regards the last of these as "perhaps the most plausible".
Meanings
-
(Southern-US) A native or inhabitant of some part of the United States: ▸ A native or inhabitant of the northern United States.
[…]so that I couldn't help telling her, sir, that in our country, leastways in Virginia (they say the Yankees are very pert), young people don't speak of their elders so.
1857–1859, W[illiam] M[akepeace] Thackeray, chapter XXXIV, in The Virginians. A Tale of the Last Century, volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: Bradbury & Evans, […], published 1858–1859, →OCLC:“So, he is the father of Emmie Slattery’s baby,” thought Scarlett. “Oh, well. What else can you expect from a Yankee man and a white-trash girl?”
1936 June 30, Margaret Mitchell, Gone with the Wind, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company, published June 1944, →OCLC, part I, page 71:
- (Northern-US, Southern-US) A native or inhabitant of some part of the United States: ▸ A native or inhabitant of the northern United States. ▸ A native or inhabitant of New England.
- (French, Louisiana) A native or inhabitant of some part of the United States: ▸ An anglo, someone without French ancestry; a native or inhabitant of the rest of the United States.
-
(Commonwealth, derogatory, sometimes) A native or inhabitant of some part of the United States: ▸ A native or inhabitant of the United States in general.
...in a short time, a kind of infectious mirth and pride in their bargains took possession of the place, and every one bought something, holding out their purchases to view, and praising them in the words and phraseology of the young yankees, who, finding their own importance, were not slow to avail themselves of it,...
1842, [anonymous collaborator of Letitia Elizabeth Landon], chapter XXXIX, in Lady Anne Granard; or, Keeping up Appearances. […], volume II, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, page 194:
- (Southern-US, derogatory, historical, often) Any individual associated with the Union; that is, the United States federal government, during the American Civil War.
- A player for the New York Yankees.
- A large triangular headsail used in light or moderate winds and set on the fore topmast stay. Unlike a genoa it does not fill the whole fore triangle, but is set in combination with the working staysail.
-
A wager on four selections, consisting of 11 separate bets: six doubles, four trebles and a fourfold accumulator.
Betting is complicated with win bets, place bets, each-way bets and complex bets such as doubles, trebles, Yankees and the like.
1980 March 20, New Scientist, volume 85, number 1199:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yankees | Number=Plur | lexicographic | |
| Yengee | alternative, obsolete | lexicographic | |
| Yankey | alternative, archaic | lexicographic | |
| Yanky | alternative, archaic | lexicographic |
Antonyms
Confederate · reb · southron
Coordinates
Deriveds
Yankee swap · Yankee dime · damn Yankee · Yankees Creek · yanqui · Yank · seppo · Yankeedom · septic tank · Yankee cheese · Yankee ingenuity · Yankeeism · Yankee-Doodle · Yankee bean · Yankee go home · Yankee screwdriver
Descendants
扬基 · 揚基 · 洋基 · ianque · ヤンキー · Yangki · я́нки · yanqui · jèngki · 양키 · jänkare · jenkki · я́нкі
Relateds
Synonyms
septic · American · Usonan · Usonian · Yank · Seppo · Yankee · Usanian · US-American · Ameritard · Americunt · US-ian · American · U.S. American · US American · US American · United Statian · United Statesian · USian
Translations (82)
fi jenny ((nautical) large triangular headsail) · ga Poncán (native or inhabitant of the USA) · nl vlieger ((nautical) large triangular headsail) · bg я́нки (native or inhabitant of the Northern USA) · pl jankes (native or inhabitant of the USA) · cs Yankee (native or inhabitant of the USA) · sh Jȅnki (native or inhabitant of the USA) · ca ianqui (native or inhabitant of the USA) · pl yankee ((nautical) large triangular headsail) · ja アメ公 (native or inhabitant of the USA) · rsk Єнки (native or inhabitant of the USA) · sk Yankee (native or inhabitant of the Northern USA) · hi यांकी (native or inhabitant of the USA) · mk Јенки (native or inhabitant of the USA) · ro yankeu (native or inhabitant of the USA) · ru америко́с (native or inhabitant of the USA) · nl Yankee (native or inhabitant of the Northern USA) · es gabacho (native or inhabitant of the Northern USA) · uk я́нкі (native or inhabitant of the USA) · et jänki (native or inhabitant of the USA) · nl Yankee ((baseball) player that plays for the New York Yankees) · de Ami (native or inhabitant of the USA) · ar يَانْكِي (native or inhabitant of the USA) · sh Је̏нки (native or inhabitant of the USA) · be я́нкі (native or inhabitant of the Northern USA) · pl Jankeska (native or inhabitant of New England) · fi genoa ((nautical) large triangular headsail) · ru пиндо́с (native or inhabitant of the USA) · cmn 洋基 ((baseball) player that plays for the New York Yankees) · hu jenki (native or inhabitant of the Northern USA) · hy յանկի (native or inhabitant of the USA) · pt ianque (native or inhabitant of the USA) · ru я́нки (native or inhabitant of the Northern USA) · ko 양키 (native or inhabitant of the USA) · el Γιάνκης (native or inhabitant of the USA) · ko 양키 (native or inhabitant of the Northern USA) · bg я́нки (native or inhabitant of the USA) · ja ヤンキー (native or inhabitant of the USA) · be я́нкі (native or inhabitant of the USA) · nl Yankee (native or inhabitant of the USA) · bg янки (native or inhabitant of New England) · es Yanqui ((baseball) player that plays for the New York Yankees) · gl ianqui (native or inhabitant of the USA) · uk я́нкі (native or inhabitant of the Northern USA) · oc ianquí (native or inhabitant of the USA) · cmn 洋基 (native or inhabitant of the USA) · pl Jankes (native or inhabitant of the Northern USA) · ka იანკი (native or inhabitant of the USA) · lt jankis (native or inhabitant of the USA) · cmn 揚基 /扬基 (native or inhabitant of the USA) · da yankee (native or inhabitant of the USA) · es yanqui (native or inhabitant of New England) · ja ヤンキー (native or inhabitant of the Northern USA) · id jengki (native or inhabitant of the USA) · es yanqui (native or inhabitant of the USA) · hu jenki (native or inhabitant of the USA) · sv yankee (native or inhabitant of the USA) · de Yankee (native or inhabitant of the USA) · cmn 美國佬 /美国佬 (native or inhabitant of the USA) · pl Jankes (native or inhabitant of New England) · pl Jankes ((baseball) player that plays for the New York Yankees) · nl Yankee (native or inhabitant of New England) · fi jenkki (native or inhabitant of the USA) · it yankee (native or inhabitant of the USA) · eo jankio (native or inhabitant of the USA) · pl Jankeska (native or inhabitant of the Northern USA) · pl jankeska (native or inhabitant of the USA) · nn jenki (native or inhabitant of the USA) · lt jankė (native or inhabitant of the USA) · fa یانکی (native or inhabitant of the Northern USA) · cs Yankee (native or inhabitant of the Northern USA) · sk Yankee (native or inhabitant of the USA) · lv jenkiete (native or inhabitant of the USA) · tl Yangki (native or inhabitant of the USA) · nb Yankee (native or inhabitant of the USA) · lv jenkijs (native or inhabitant of the USA) · fa یانکی (native or inhabitant of the USA) · fr Yankee (native or inhabitant of the USA) · de Ami (native or inhabitant of the Northern USA) · fi jenkki (native or inhabitant of the Northern USA) · sv jänkare (native or inhabitant of the USA) · ru я́нки (native or inhabitant of the USA)
wikidata: Q100885106 · wikidata: Q100744392 · wikidata: Q692062 · wikidata: Q692062 · wikidata: Q846570 · wikidata: Q692062 · wikidata: Q100885106 · wikidata: Q692062