The Savannah morning news., 1901-07-11
ABOUT THE WORD yankee"
The Origin of Its Application to the
New EngIander Is a Stumbling
Block to PhiIoIOgists.

The Origin of Its Application to the
New EngIander Is a Stumbling
Block to PhiIoIOgists.
From the Boston Globe.
In one sense or another the word yam
kee," or "Yanky," is to be found in Brit
ish literature for at least two centuries
and 1t is pretty clearly defined. but the
origin of its application to the New Eng
lander is the despair of philologists. From
time to time, for more than 100 years, ex-
plantations have been advanced of this
use of the word, but, though plausible,
they have not passed beyond the stage
of speculation or conjecture.
The earliest known instance of its use
by an American is that cited by the late
DR.. Trumbull, in 1857, from a poem writ
ten by an American, but published In
London in 1865. The date of this in
stance of the use of the word. together
with the ordinary accompaniment of
Doodle" or Doodle Doo"-an old Eng
lish refrain-renders plausible the the
DRY that the word Yankee" was brought
to this country by the British regulars.
who came hither to fight the Canadians in
the last great war with France. That
the tune of Yankee Doodle" as martial
music. was played by the English as early
DIS 40, dpDtdTS Dy the accounts OF the
battle of Lexington, from which time
tradition certainly connects ii with the
tune we now know by that name. 1t is
also certain that the phrase Yankee
Doodle" appears in an American stage
play in 1867. and that the Yankee Doc
die Song" was the martial music of the
British forces that came to Boston in
176S to queil the disturbances provoked by
the stamp act. This tune presumably was
the same that was played at Lexington
seven years later.
Soon after the commencement of hos
tilities in the American Revolution the
word Yankee" and the tune of Yankee
Doodle" seem to have got a foothold
here, for as early as Feb. 16. 1776 It is
recorded that an American privateer call
ed the Yankee Hero, which about four
months later was captured by the Brit
ish. had already brought a valuable prize
into Newburyport, and upon the capitu-
lation of Burgoyne the next year. the VIC
torious army saluted the conquered troops
of Burgoyne with the tune of Yankee
Doodle as they proceeded through the
American camp'near Fish Creek to take
up the line of march to Cambridge
/ venture the opinion that both the tune
and the words may yet be found to have
been one of the ephemeral airs, popular
in London. which the soldiers of London,
Abercrombie or Amherst took with them
on their departure for America.
One of Boston's bright scholars noted
for his perseverance and the wide range
and thoroughness OF his PATHOLOGICAL re-
searches. has been inquirinE into this
subject with ardor. and we may hope
that ere long. both the verses and the
music OF Yankee Doodle" which Rear
Admiral Preble calls "a musical vaga-
bond and "a literary Bohemian" have
been traced to their original starting
place.
Though applied by our enemies in de-
rision, II seems to have been adopted by
the Americans in a spirit of bravado,
after they had won their first signal vic
tories. Thus. In the ballad. THE Fall
posed by Rev. Wheeler Case in ITS. the
rhymester exclaims:
Pris'ners to rebels. Yankees. too.
o Notifying strikel
II the above conjecture as 20 the first
application OF the word is correct, and
those who were first called Yankees were
the rank and hle OF the Colonial forces
by whom the invaders were confronted,
Il follows that the name Is not exceed
ingiy applicable 10 persons OF purely Eng
lish descent. On the contrary. Il IL inn
possible 10 fairly proportion the honor
and glory OF political and military achieve
mcnt in the American Revolution without
awarding an important share 10 those
whose names and family traditions belong
20 ireland. as well az 10 Great Britain and
the continent Of Europe.
some have supposed that the peculiar
inionation aud Pronunciation o. New