What´s a yankee?

The Longman Dictionary of English Language and Culture describes a yankee as :

1.BrE a citizen of the United States of America.

2.AmE a person born or living in the northern or northeastern states of the US. This word is connected with the American Civil War when northerners (Yankees) fought southerners (Rebels).

The origin of the word is unknown. It can be a corruption of the Dutch Jan Kees (John Cheese). It seems Jan Kees was a nonce name for a Dutchman in America (like John Bull for an Englishman).

The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language explains the name yankee probably came from the Dutch “Janke”, a nickname of Jan (John).

Nowadays the term carries little emotion except for baseball fans.

Yankee Doodle

Yankee Doodle is a patriotic American song which became popular during the American Revolutionary War. British soldiers made fun of the Americans:

“Yankee Doodle went to town, a-riding on a pony;
Stuck a feather in his cap and called it macaroni.”

Yankee Doodle- the lyrics

Yankee Doodle went to town, a-riding on a pony;
Stuck a feather in his cap and called it macaroni.

Chorus:

Yankee Doodle keep it up, Yankee Doodle dandy,
Mind the music and the step and with the girls be handy.

Father and I went down to camp along with Captain Gooding
And there we saw the men and boys, as thick as hasty pudding.

There was Colonel Washington, upon a strapping stallion,
A-giving orders to his men, I guess there was a million.

And there I saw a cannon barrel as big as mother's basin,
And every time they touched it off they scampered like the nation.