Changes

One theory, no longer held by scholars, says the word derives  from the Northeastern Native American approximation of the words ''English'' and ''Anglais''.<ref>"yankee, n and a" OED <http://dictionary.oed.com/cgi/entry/50288716></ref> It has been rejected by linguists.<ref>Mathews (1951) p 1896</ref>  

One theory, no longer held by scholars, says the word derives  from the Northeastern Native American approximation of the words ''English'' and ''Anglais''.<ref>"yankee, n and a" OED <http://dictionary.oed.com/cgi/entry/50288716></ref> It has been rejected by linguists.<ref>Mathews (1951) p 1896</ref>  

The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' suggests the most plausible origin to be that it is derived from the Dutch surnames "Jan" and "Kees". "Jan" and "Kees" were common Dutch surnames, and also common Dutch given names or nicknames. "Jan" means "John" and may have been used as a reference to the settlers of New-York (New-Amsterdam at the time) who were Dutch. The word Yankee in this sense would be used as a form of contempt, applied derisively to Dutch settlers in New England and New York.<ref>"yankee, n and a" OED</ref>  Another speculation suggests the Dutch form was ''Jan Kaas'', "John Cheese", from the prevalence of dairy-farming among the Dutch, but this seems far-fetched. More realistically, Michael Quinion and Patrick Hanks argue<ref>see  [http://www.worldwidewords.org/reviews/re-por1.htm])</ref> the term refers to the Dutch nickname and surname ''Janke'', anglicized to ''Yanke'' and "used as a nickname for a Dutch-speaking American in colonial times". By extension, according to their theory, the term grew to include non-Dutch American colonists as well.

The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' suggests the most plausible origin to be that it is derived from the Dutch surnames "Jan" and "Kees". "Jan" and "Kees" were common Dutch surnames, and also common Dutch given names or nicknames. "Jan" means "John" and may have been used as a reference to the settlers of New-York (New-Amsterdam at the time) who were Dutch. The word Yankee in this sense would be used as a form of contempt, applied derisively to Dutch settlers in New England and New York.<ref>"yankee, n and a" OED</ref>  Another speculation suggests the Dutch form was ''Jan Kaas'', "John Cheese", from the prevalence of dairy-farming among the Dutch, but this seems far-fetched. More realistically, Michael Quinion and Patrick Hanks argue<ref>http://www.worldwidewords.org/reviews/re-por1.htm)</ref> the term refers to the Dutch nickname and surname ''Janke'', anglicized to ''Yanke'' and "used as a nickname for a Dutch-speaking American in colonial times". By extension, according to their theory, the term grew to include non-Dutch American colonists as well.

===Yankee Doodle===

===Yankee Doodle===