Later British use of the word was in a derogatory manner, as seen in a cartoon published in 1775 ridiculing 'Yankee' soldiers. 'I can afford you two companies of Yankees, and the more, because they are better for ranging and scouting than either work or vigilance'. Etymology and historical usage of the term New England origin īritish General James Wolfe made the earliest recorded use of the word 'Yankee' in 1758 when he referred to the New England soldiers under his command. The speech dialect of Eastern New England English is called 'Yankee' or 'Yankee dialect'. Its sense is sometimes more cultural than geographical, emphasizing the Calvinist Puritan Christian beliefs and traditions of the Congregationalists who brought their culture when they settled outside New England. Elsewhere in the United States, it largely refers to people from the Northeastern states, but especially those with New England cultural ties, such as descendants of colonial New England settlers, wherever they live. In the Southern United States, Yankee is a derisive term which refers to all Northerners, and during the American Civil War it was applied by Confederates to soldiers of the Union army in general. It has been especially popular in the United Kingdom, Ireland, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand where it may be used variously with uncomplimentary overtone, endearingly, or cordially. Outside the United States, Yank is used informally to refer to an American person or thing.

Their various meanings depend on the context, and may refer to New Englanders, the Northeastern United States, the Northern United States, or to Americans in general. The term Yankee and its contracted form Yank have several interrelated meanings, all referring to people from the United States. United States, Northern States, New England

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