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From: gino@voder.UUCP (Gino Bloch)
Newsgroups: net.nlang
Subject: Re: Yankee Doodle
Message-ID: <735@voder.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 26-Mar-85 14:04:25 EST
Article-I.D.: voder.735
Posted: Tue Mar 26 14:04:25 1985
Date-Received: Tue, 2-Apr-85 07:39:38 EST
References: <660@oddjob.UUCP> <223@columbia.UUCP>
Organization: National Semiconductor, Santa Clara
Lines: 16

*** DON'T EAT THIS LINE OR MY MESSAGE ***

> > We were discussing the origin of the word "Yankee", which originally
> 
> 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....

Would depend on the set of phonemes in their language.  Cf the Hawaiian
pronunciation of Merry Christmas:  Mele Kelikimake.
I've heard that the Dutch in the area called the English settlers "Jan Kees",
meaning "John Cheese", pronounced yahn case (or caze?).  Maybe this is as
valid as any etymology for "OK".
-- 
Gene E. Bloch (...!{ucbvax, ihnp4!nsc, decwrl!nsc}!voder!gino)
The accidents expressed above are opinions.