Yankee, Derivation of.—The word Yankee is nothing more than the word English so transformed by the imperfect pronunciation of the natives of Massachusets—Yenghis, Yanghis, Yankies. The orthography of this much-used epithet, which is not given, we believe, in any English or American work, was communicated to M. Philarète
Charles by one of the best-informed men of that province.
"Le mot Yankee, appliqué aujourd'hui comme sobriquet aux populations agricoles et commerçantes du nord, n'est autre que le mot English transformé par la prononciation défectueuse des indigènes du Massachusets: Yenghis, Yanghis, Yankies. Nous tenons de l'un des hommes les plus instruit de la province cette curieuse étymologie, que ne donne aucun ouvrage americain ou anglais. Les Anglais, quand ils se moquent des Yankies, se moquent d'eux-mèmes."—Philarète Charles, "Les Americains," in Revue des Deux Mondes, May 15, 1850.
J. M.
A Word to Literary Men (Vol. iii., p. 161.).—Perhaps Mr. Kenneth R. H. Mackenzie will allow me to add the following as a rider to his suggestion:—
"Even after all the labours of the Prussian scholars," says Dr. Arnold, "much remains to be done towards obtaining a complete knowledge of the number, and still more of the value, of the Greek MSS. now existing in Europe. It is not easy to know how many MSS. of any given writer are extant, where they are to be found, and, above all, whether from their age and character they are worth the trouble of an exact collation. A labour of this kind cannot be accomplished by individuals; but the present spirit of liberal co-operation, which seems to influence literary as well as scientific men throughout Europe, renders its accomplishment by the combined exertions of the scholars of different countries by no meals impracticable. It would be exceedingly convenient to possess an alphabetical list of all the extant Greek and Latin writers, with a catalogue raisonnée of the MSS. of each; and if such a work were attempted, there is little doubt, I imagine, that in point of number a very large addition would be made to the stock of MSS. already known. What the result might be in point of value is another question; still it is desirable to know what we have to trust to; and when we have obtained a right estimate of our existing resources in manuscripts, we shall then be better able to judge what modern criticism will have to do from its own means towards bringing the text of the ancient writers to the greatest possible state of perfection."—Preface to Thucydides, vol. iii. page iv. 2d edit.
M. N.