-Indiana
Origins of the state's nickname remains disputed. Among the many explanations is that of Jacob Piatt Dunn. He traced the word back to “hoozer,” a dialect word from the Cumberland district of northwestern England that meant any unusually large feature, such as a hill. Another explanation holds that the term comes from the many Indiana residents hired by contractor Sam Hoosier, who became known as Hoosiers. Still others believe the word is a corruption of pioneer question “Who’s here?”