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<font size=3>At 1/27/2010 09:55 AM, Jonathan Lighter wrote:<br>
<blockquote type=cite class=cite cite="">Somebody should into the
possibility that, as used to be claimed, it really<br>
does come from a Northeastern Native word for "English"
(allegedly<br>
"Yengees"). Not only does this seem phonetically
plausible, Magua (Wes<br>
Studi) actually uses _Yengees_ in his apparently genuine Delaware
speeches<br>
in _The Last of the Mohicans_.<br><br>
Surely Hollywood wouldn't make up something like that! The credits
list<br>
"Glen Jacobs: language instructor: Delaware."
</blockquote><br>
For Jon and those few interested in this who read French:<br><br>
1) One place "it used to be claimed" is <i>A
Monogram on Our National Song</i>, by Elias Nason (1869).
[Downloadable.] See pp 18-29; this talks about "Yenghee"
and a derivation from Indian languages, and includes early source
citations.<br><br>
2) Googling "janker dudel" (with the <i>J</i>)
yields 1 Google Books hit, but perhaps useful: <i>Une histoire de
l'Europe à travers ses chants nationaux</i>, by Ian Grocholski
(2007). [No preview available.]<br><br>
Joel</font></body>
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