Quantcast
How did the word Hoosier originate in... | Almanac.com

How did the word Hoosier originate in...

Print Friendly and PDF
How did the word Hoosier originate in reference to Indiana?
Answer
Inhabitants of Indiana are referred to as Hoosiers. More than likely, the name came from the English word hoozer, used to refer to something unusually large. According to The American Heritage Dictionary, Hoosier may initially have been used in a derogatory sense to refer to “a big, burly, uncouth … individual” or frontiersman.