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Mysteries of vernacular:

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Yankee,

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a New England resident

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or, more generally, a person who lives in

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or is from the United States.

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Though the origin of Yankee is uncertain,

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this all-American word most likely descended

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from the Dutch moniker Janke,

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a diminutive meaning little Jan,

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or little John.

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In the 17th century,

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Janke was the common nickname of Dutch sailors,

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pirates in particular.

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A Dutch pirate ship operating in the West Indies

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was even called the Yankee.

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Over the years, Yankee transformed

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from a pirate's nickname

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into a general term of contempt.

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In 1758, British general James Wolfe

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used Yankee as a pejorative term

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for the colonists under his supervision.

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But the insult wasn't limited to soldiers.

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Yankee quickly came to mean New Englander,

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and by the 1780s,

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it was used to look down

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upon any American.

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During the Revolution,

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colonists co-opted Yankee

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and transformed it into a mark of national honor.

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The Civil War, however,

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intensified the derisive definition

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when it was used by Southerners

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to mock members of the Union.

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Today, it carries much less emotion,

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unless, of course,

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we're talking about baseball.