Washington’s NFL team is anguishing over its choice of names – one that can’t be interpreted as an ethnic slur. Which probably means the New York Yankees may face the same dilemma.
The origins of “Yankee” are debated, but many say that it is from the Dutch, possibly from “Jan Kees,” meaning “John Cheese,” or “smelly.” Anyone who has had a whiff of Limburger cheese understands the linkage. As applied to an Englishman, it definitely was a slur. But one has to understand it in context of the Dutch trait for cleanliness, to the point where sidewalks in front of their New Amsterdam (New York City) dwellings were scrubbed daily.
However, “Yankee” overcame its humble image to the point where the word now is one of the best known and respected in the world today.
Robert Denbow
Saco
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