Massachusetts
/ˌmæsəˈtʃuːsɪts/noun
A U.S. state in New England.
Did you know?The state name comes from a Massachusett place-name, usually understood as referring to the “place near the great hill,” preserving an Indigenous geographic memory inside a modern political border.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-17th Century
Algonquian
Massachusett
“A Native place-name, generally interpreted as “near the great hill” or “at the great hill.””
Early 17th Century
English
Massachusett
“The name of the Indigenous people and their territory in the New England region.”
1620s–1630s
English
Massachusetts
“An English spelling adapted for the colony and its surrounding region.”
1690s
English
Massachusetts Bay
“The colonial territory and political unit named for the Indigenous place-name.”
1788
English
Massachusetts
“The name of one of the original U.S. states.”
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