yankee

/ˈjæŋki/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈjæŋki/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈyaŋ-kē/ (ame, mw)

yankee — noun

  • yankeesingular
  • yankeesplural

1. a word used mainly by non-Americans to refer to someone from the United States;

1.名詞B1
釋義

a word used mainly by non-Americans to refer to someone from the United States; some people consider it unkind or offensive

例句

When Kian visited London, some locals referred to him as a Yankee.

refer to + as + a Yankee

Sana found it strange that strangers kept calling her a Yankee on the train.

call + object + a Yankee (object complement)

同義詞
  • American

    neutral, standard term for a person from the US; does not carry the informal or potentially offensive tone of Yankee

  • Yank

    shortened form of Yankee; same register and connotations, very common in British English

  • US citizen

    formal, legal term; no emotional charge, used in official contexts

用法筆記

Can be offensive depending on the speaker's tone and context. Some Americans find the term insulting, while others use it playfully about themselves. It is more commonly used by British, Australian, and other non-American speakers than by Americans themselves.

常見錯誤

❌Everyone from the US is a Yankee from New York.
✅Not all Americans are Yankees
💡the term Yankee can also specifically mean someone from the northern US.' — Yankee has two distinct meanings: a general informal term for any American, and a more specific term for a person from the northern states.

2. a label for someone born or living in the north-eastern part of the United State

2.名詞B2
釋義

a label for someone born or living in the north-eastern part of the United States, particularly the New England region

例句

Rafael grew up in Boston and proudly calls himself a Yankee.

call + oneself + a Yankee (self-identification)

Jude moved from Maine to Georgia and heard a store clerk whisper Yankee as he walked past.

whisper + [noun] + as clause (covert labeling)

同義詞
  • Northerner

    neutral term for someone from the northern US; lacks the historical and cultural connotations of Yankee

  • New Englander

    more specific than Yankee; refers only to people from the New England states (Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut)

反義詞
  • Southerner

    a person from the southern US; the traditional regional counterpart to a Yankee

用法筆記

This sense is most common within the US itself, especially in the South, where it can carry historical or cultural weight connected to the American Civil War. Distinguish from sense 1: sense 1 refers to any American (used from outside the US), while sense 2 specifies a US northerner (used mainly within the US).

常見錯誤

❌My friend from Texas is a Yankee because she is American.
✅My friend from Texas is not a Yankee; she is from the South.
💡Yankee in this sense refers to someone from the northern US, not any American.