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I'm an air force brat so I've pretty well lived all over. Parents were from the south. I've lived about half my life in the south, but the other half has been around. From about age 7 until I graduated high school I was either out west or overseas.
When I went to college in the south after graduation, I was surprised at how many people said I was a Yankee, because I was from out west. I was surprised, because much of my short life at that point had been in an area (the PNW) in which the national view seems much more an east/west thing rather than a north/south thing.
Over the years I figured out that many southerners figure that if you're a US citizen and you aren't from the south, you are a Yankee. I used to argue that I wasn't, but now at least understand where they're coming from.
To answer the original question, as I've lived in deep south for years--Yankee-land starts north of Kentucky, west of Arkansas...somewhere in Texas. Somewhere in there, it quits being southern and starts being western.
The Yankees actually started in Baltimore before moving to New York. Also the word Yankee comes from the Dutch (Jan Kees) who were making fun of back woods farmers in New Netherlands and later in the New Haven Colony (now part of Connecticut). Neither Vermont or Maine even existed back in the 1600s. So modern Connecticut is probably the original Yankee "heartland".
Finally after reading 20 pages of discussion someone has finally is on the right track!
Yankee is not a term born in the Civil War, it was born in Nieuw Nederland. Being a native of Fort Oranje, I know a bit about this.
I'm not sure LINative is exactly right regarding the translation, exact origin, etc, but it's as likely as anything else I've heard. My understand is Jan & Kee are Dutch first names. The letter J is pronounced like Y in Dutch. There was a Dutch explorer named Jan Mey. Other stories say the Iroquois called the Dutch colonists the "jan-kees". Sorta like the word Bronx was named after Jonas Bronck, perhaps it was like when people were going to visit the Broncks (Bronx) they went to see the "Yan-Kees. Others say it was a pejorative with Kee short for keeshond - a type of dog.
Whatever the exact origin, it definitely is Dutch and originated in the New Netherlands settlement somewhere in the 17th to 18th century.
Anyone who grew up in "Yankeeland" knows very well the song Yankee Doodle Dandy was a battle song played on the fife and drum during the Revolution. It was originated from a British song and may have been used in the French/Indian War. Anyone who has seen the historical movie Last of the Mohicans which was set in the French/Indian War hears the word used. In Cooper's original text it is spelled Yangee. Anyways obviously it morphed over time from a pejorative to a badge of honor as the rag tag colonists gathered together an defeated the might British army. As the spoils of war go, key figures of the victorious yankees divied up the rewards and thus became the wealthy and powerful people who eventually became known to subsequent generations. I would guess it was at this time the next generations began to know the "Yankees" as the upper class Brahmins.
That's the real background. You all know where it went from there.
I find the word a little risky for use in public. Words have a way of morphing their meaning over the years. Many words are double-entendres. A picture perfect example are all things African-American. Prior generations used the word ni66er without hesitation. After the Civil rights era, it was essentially banned from social discourse. Colored, Black, all tabbooized in varying degrees, til now we have the word ni66a. It's all touchy. Tacky too. Yankee is sorta like that. I could expound, maybe I will later.
This is a question I am really interested in seeing how people in different parts of the country view it. That is: What states -- if any -- do you personally consider to be "yankee." And too, if applicable, who exactly ARE "yankees."
A little preface first.
As a native Texan and Southerner, it is a common term down here. I hasten to add it may or may NOT be used in a derogatory manner. Often times, it has no more insulting connotation than calling someone "Red" or 'Blondie" would be because of their hair color. Sometimes it can even be used in a friendly, jocular way (for instance, I have a good friend from Kansas to whom I will sometimes say things like "you damn yankee, you don't know what the hell you are talking about." LOL).
This is something I am really wondering about. My own experience is that Southerners tend to define yankee as being those not from the South, while most of the rest of the country views it as those from the northeast. Those in the northeast may or may not apply the label to themselves.
Since I started it, here is my own definition:
Wellll, ACTUALLY, it would probably be easier to list the states I DON'T consider yankee! LOL
In IMHO, the NON-yankee states are the 11 Old Confederate States plus Kentucky, Oklahoma and West Virginia. Also, Missouri, New Mexico and Arizona, while not Southern, don't really fit the definition. Several other western states like Nevada, Utah, Colorado, sorta "straddle" the borerline. What I would consider the "hardcore" yankee states are those that were absolutely Union during the "Civil War." Particularly the northeast/New England.
So far as on an individual level, birthplace and parentage can matter. For instance, a native Texan or Mississippian or Virginian can relocate to Chicago, but naturally they are not yankees.
Anyway, again, I am really curious and interested as to how others see it.
BTW -- very important. PLEASE state on your post where you are from and where you live now (if one is different from the other), as that will have a lot of bearing on the issue!
I don't define states as Yankees, but certain people.
Finally after reading 20 pages of discussion someone has finally is on the right track!
Yankee is not a term born in the Civil War, it was born in Nieuw Nederland. Being a native of Fort Oranje, I know a bit about this.
I'm not sure LINative is exactly right regarding the translation, exact origin, etc, but it's as likely as anything else I've heard. My understand is Jan & Kee are Dutch first names. The letter J is pronounced like Y in Dutch. There was a Dutch explorer named Jan Mey. Other stories say the Iroquois called the Dutch colonists the "jan-kees". Sorta like the word Bronx was named after Jonas Bronck, perhaps it was like when people were going to visit the Broncks (Bronx) they went to see the "Yan-Kees. Others say it was a pejorative with Kee short for keeshond - a type of dog.
Whatever the exact origin, it definitely is Dutch and originated in the New Netherlands settlement somewhere in the 17th to 18th century.
Anyone who grew up in "Yankeeland" knows very well the song Yankee Doodle Dandy was a battle song played on the fife and drum during the Revolution. It was originated from a British song and may have been used in the French/Indian War. Anyone who has seen the historical movie Last of the Mohicans which was set in the French/Indian War hears the word used. In Cooper's original text it is spelled Yangee. Anyways obviously it morphed over time from a pejorative to a badge of honor as the rag tag colonists gathered together an defeated the might British army. As the spoils of war go, key figures of the victorious yankees divied up the rewards and thus became the wealthy and powerful people who eventually became known to subsequent generations. I would guess it was at this time the next generations began to know the "Yankees" as the upper class Brahmins.
That's the real background. You all know where it went from there.
I find the word a little risky for use in public. Words have a way of morphing their meaning over the years. Many words are double-entendres. A picture perfect example are all things African-American. Prior generations used the word ni66er without hesitation. After the Civil rights era, it was essentially banned from social discourse. Colored, Black, all tabbooized in varying degrees, til now we have the word ni66a. It's all touchy. Tacky too. Yankee is sorta like that. I could expound, maybe I will later.
I actually looked up the word myself as I was very curious. By far the Dutch theory of "Jan Kees" makes the most sense to me (especially since it was used in Holland in the 1600s) and sort of reminds me of modern "redneck". I do not believe the Indian theory but I loved that scene in the "The Last of the Mohicans". Also I think my mention of the New Haven Colony (Western Connecticut) was just a guess how it spread into Connecticut since now I cannot find where I got that!
I would consider any State to be "Yankee" who really, truly doesn't give a great big gray rats arse what we called each other 140+ years ago.
Why use the word "we"? Nobody was around 140+ years ago so it's petty to use Yankee in my opinion. The only terms I use is outside of the city/state names are New Englander (for those in NE), Northerner (NY,NJ,PA,DE), Midwesterner, Southerner, and Westerner...That's the only distinction I go by, that and Floridian and so on for the states and Bostonian (and so on) for the people from different cities. It's too throwback to me (calling someone a Yankee).
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. OH and btw. The Yankees will lose two out of three to the Rangers.
