Yankees

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A term describing individuals from the northern parts of the U.S., frequently linked to military connotations or sports teams, especially baseball
2. This label identifies Americans from the northern states, particularly used in historical contexts like the Civil War, alongside a renowned baseball franchise
3. A colloquial term for people hailing from the northern United States, often associated with the Union Army in the Civil War and a prominent professional baseball team

Etymology: "Yankees" is the plural of "yankee," so its history is really the history of that base word. The noun traces back to the 1700s, when it appears in colonial and British usage as a term for New Englanders, and it has since broadened to cover Northerners generally. Its origin is debated; the most cited suggestions involve Dutch forms of the name John, but none of them is settled. The plural form took on a life of its own through two very different strands. During the American Civil War, "Yankee" became a common label for Union soldiers, so the plural came to name the Northern army as a whole. Later, the name was adopted by the New York baseball club, and the plural now refers to that team in particular, which is why many people today hear it first as a sports term rather than a political or military one.