The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1888-01-04
YANKEE DOODLE.
HISTORICAL FACTS IN REGARD TO
THE ANCIENT TUNE.

4
| Synopsis of an Essay Read Before the
Historic Genealogical Society Of Bos-
ton--Origin of the Word Yankee
The Primary Expression.
At recent meeting of the Historic Gene
illogical society Dr. George H. Moore, Of
New York, was introduced to read an essay
on ''The Origin of Yankee Doodle The
tune, he said, is familiar all over the known
world, and the phrase Yankee Doodlen ison
the lips one time or another of all English
speaking people; but Of the origin Of it few
people know anything.
In considering the question it is manifest
that there are two elements in it, one being
the meaning and derivation of the word
Yankee, and the other of the song and tune.
One explanation given Of the word Yankee
dates back as far as 1713, when there was a
farmer living at Cambridge named Jonathan
Hastings. He was familiar acquaintance
Of the college students Of that period, and it
was reputed that he Invented the word.
At any ratio he used it constantly in the
presence of students and others as an adverb
to signify a high degree Of excellence-for
example, "a Yankee good horse" Yankee
good cider.n This use, it is said, the students
adopted, and after leaving college spread the
knowledge of it in places near and distant.
Its first appearance ON record, so far as the
essayist knew, is of date 1725, when an adj
vertisement appeared of the sale of the effects
of an English gentleman in Morpeth, Eng
land. One item of the list was, "One negro,
named sYankee.'n Many plausible sugges-
lions have been made, some In earnest and
some apparently in frolicsome spirit, that
the word is of Indian origin. By some 1t has
been traced to the Cherokee Indians and by
Others to those Of New England Among
those who manifest sincerity in this way the
essayist mentioned the author of history of
the Moravian missionaries in 1918, writer
In the North American Review about the
same time, and of more recent date, DIR.
Trumbull, the philologist.
The theory is that ssYankee'' Is an attempt
Of the Indians to pronounce the word ENG
lish." The essayist held that these are mis-
taken judgments on the case and that the
writers have been mis1ed by resemblance,
real or fancied, In the sound of certain IN
dian words. He held it to be impossible to
believe that the word is of Indian origin,
when ii is considered that none of the early
accounts of the dealing Of white men with
Indians, from the Fifteenth century forward,
make any mention of 1t. Neither Capt.
John Smith, nor the father of New England,
nor Roger Williams, nor John Eliot nor
Hutchinson, nor Belsnap ever appear TO
have heard of such suggestion.
The essayist found a perfectly Ineligible
and natural explanation Of the origin and
primary significance of the word In the
Dutch word, of which the substantive form Is
"jankern and the form of the verb tjankenn
The meaning of the verb is to grumble, to
snarl, to quarrel, to scoId; the meaning of
tho noun is bowler, a crier, weeper,
barker. As used 1t is expressive of contempt,
derision, or objurgation. To call a man
barker or bowler is equivalent or is exactly
the same as to call him a dog, and in almost
all languages and among all nations such an
appelation is one of disparagement and
abuse.
The essayist gives a luminous account of
the rivalries, jealousies, controversies, and
clashings which occurred in early times be-
tween the Dutch settlers Of New Netherlands
and the English who inhabited New England
and had any occasion to deal with the Dutch
in any form. The feeling of antagonism and
contempt for the English colonists continued
long after the territory of New Netherlands
had come under English dominion, and, the
essayist added, that to. this day in some of
tho families of New York of ancient Dutch
origin, the Yankee is regarded with feeling
at least of distrust.
The word "janker' and other words de-
rived from il are not, the essayist said, any
part of the language Of refinement among
the Dutch. The primary word is a low word,
used by the mob; 1t is slang Of rather vile
sort. A gentleman might think himself JUS
amid very exciting circumstances but IL
would not be ordinarily part of bis speech.
Various facts were given in the essay going
to show that in its early use, whether by the
Dutch or Others including the English at
home, the word Yankee was expressive Of
contempt. Accordingly it came very natur-
ally into service when, upon the occasion OF
the assembling of an army near Albany for
q campaign against the French and Indians,
the New England contingent OF troops APP
peared, and the New York troops and British
regulars felt disposed to ridicule these New
Englanders.
As the essayist described the New England
troops they were indeed a ridiculous lot so
far as looks went A little later, when they
bore the brunt of battle and struck the en-
envy his deadliest blows, that appearance did
not cling to them. But they came to the
rendezvous without uniforms, wearing ali
soros o H. ou'er sainen's' uyeu =, various
hues. sney W. o u'a1,',o ohiy W .ne
DR.. Richard Shuckburgh, then resident in
AiDhiiy anu ia,sr N Wv lorA, gave voice
70 inc camp ieeilhs oi eoii.elnpe LOT inc view
Engiana consiiseh1. no composed certain
in England as Fishers Jig.n This tune was
printed IN England nor Tue nfse oime' so lar
as known, IN Isov. Inc verses o. inc original
song are now unknown, puc there can DO no
doubt That they were tne merest doggerei-
They have been superseded and their sue
cessors nave been superseded py others OF
various merit, more IMAM too IN an, ~ Is
said But there is no particular set which
can be called distinctiyely the song OF
yankee DOODLE