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From: colonel@gloria.UUCP (Col. G. L. Sicherman)
Newsgroups: net.nlang
Subject: Re: Yankee Doodle
Message-ID: <1039@gloria.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 23-Mar-85 13:23:34 EST
Article-I.D.: gloria.1039
Posted: Sat Mar 23 13:23:34 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 28-Mar-85 00:18:17 EST
References: <660@oddjob.UUCP> <223@columbia.UUCP>
Organization: The Church of Artificial Intelligence
Lines: 16

[Pierre the Hideous is watching YOU!]

> > We were discussing the origin of the word "Yankee", which originally
> > referred to New Englanders.  Webster's Third states that it is unknown.
> > ("Yankee Doodle" is referred back to "Yankee".)  Does anyone know better
> > or having any good speculation?
> 
> I seem to remember from grade school that "Yankee" was an English corruption
> of the Indians' mispronunciation of "English."  This sounds a bit strained
> but still plausible....

I've heard an equally strained one: "Yankees" is derived from the Dutch
given names "Jan" and "Kees."  Jan maybe, but "Kees" is pronounced "Case."
-- 
Col. G. L. Sicherman
...{rocksvax|decvax}!sunybcs!colonel