LINGUIST List 8.1423

Sat Oct 4 1997

Qs: The Origin of 'Hoosier'

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  1. TLTBosse, Hoosier

Message 1: Hoosier

 Date: Fri, 3 Oct 1997 21:30:04 -0400 (EDT)
From: TLTBosse <TLTBosseaol.com>
Subject: Hoosier

As a native Hoosier, I've often wondered about the true origin of the word.
The most realistic, although unverifiable, explanation I've heard is as
follows:

In the early 19th century, a mill located in Southern Indiana was owned by a
man whose last name was, or sounded like "Hoosier". The employees of the
mill owner were known as "Hoosier's men", and as they all lived and worked
north of the Ohio River, the label "Hoosier" began to be applied to all
Americans living in what would eventually become the state of Indiana.
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