Magazine highlights ‘Hoosier’ definitions

The word “Hoosier” has been defined in many ways, with both positive and negative connotations. \nIs it a person from a specific area? Is it someone who lives a particular lifestyle? \n“People have been speculating for well over a century and no one has found a single, definitive answer,” said Dawn Bakken, associate editor of the Indiana Magazine of History. \nLast month, the magazine highlighted a new development in the search for the true meaning of the word. \n“Jonathan Clark Smith has found what appears to be the earliest known use of the word ‘Hoosier’ in print,” Bakken said in an e-mail. \nSmith, an English professor at Hanover College in Hanover, Ind., explained his findings in his article, “Not Southern Scorn but Local Pride: The Origin of the Word Hoosier and Indiana’s River Culture.” \n“My discovery of two previously unnoticed print references helps refocus attention on details that suggest the term originated around 1830 with specific reference to Indiana farmer-river boatmen,” Smith stated in his article. \nThis includes evidence from the Wabash Herald newspaper’s 1831 story titled “The Wabash River,” in which the word “hoosher” is cited as originating in the Ohio River commerce culture. \nRegardless of Smith’s new finding, others in Indiana maintain a strong hold on their opinions regarding the definition of a Hoosier. \nBloomington Mayor Mark Kruzan grew up in northwestern Indiana and said he has always associated the word “Hoosier” with good people. He said he believes the word is strongly associated with IU and Bloomington. \n“(Being a Hoosier) represents Indiana University,” Kruzan said. \nSenior basketball player Adam Ahlfeld said he felt the same way. \n“I’ve always thought of a true Hoosier as someone who was born in Indiana, (has) seen the movie “Hoosiers” and is an IU fan or student,” Ahlfeld said. \nOthers have unique, less mainstream interpretations of what a Hoosier, such as freshman Anthony Addison from Palatine, Ill. \n“A Hoosier is a really good-looking man who is good at all sports and excels in school ... basically the perfect man,” Addison said. \nFreshman Lindsay Whisler from Westfield, Ind., said she believes more than one kind of person can be defined as a Hoosier. \n“They are proud of the accomplishments of those around them and enjoy sharing in the enthusiasm of their fellow Hoosiers,” Whisler said. \nShe also said that she, as well as others, associates Hoosiers with IU. \n“Bloomington is a unique little bubble in the midst of the Midwest,” Whisler said. “It’s a think tank of new ideas, a menu for new experiences and a melting pot of various cultures. Hoosiers know this and love everything about IU’s diversity.”\nSenior football player Kenny Love came to IU from New Jersey. He said he wasn’t quite sure what a Hoosier was before coming to Indiana, but now believes he has an understanding. \n“It’s a resident of Indiana,” he said. \nThe Merriam-Webster Dictionary actually agrees with Love’s definition, defining Hoosier as “a native or resident of Indiana.” \nHowever, Congressman Rep. Baron Hill, D-9th, has a deep-rooted view of the people he represents in the nation’s capitol. \n“Hoosiers are commonsense, down to earth, family-oriented people,” Hill said.