Connecticut

The demonym 'Connecticuter' derives from the Algonquian languages of the indigenous peoples of New England, specifically the Mohegan-Pequot and related dialects. The name comes from various transliterations of the Algonquian word 'Quinnehtukqut' (also spelled Quonehtacut, Quinatucquet, or Quinnituq-ut), which translates to 'long tidal river,' 'beside the long tidal river,' or 'at the long river.'

This referred to what is now known as the Connecticut River, the longest river in New England, which flows approximately 410 miles from the Canadian border through four states before emptying into Long Island Sound. The Algonquian peoples recognized the river's distinctive characteristic: tidal influence extending far upstream, making it navigable for considerable distances.

English colonists arriving in the 1630s encountered various native groups including the Pequot, Mohegan, Niantic, Quinnipiac, and others, all using similar terms for the great river. Early colonial documents show remarkable spelling variations: 'Connecticotte,' 'Conecticutte,' 'Connigticut,' 'Connecticut,' 'Connitticut,' and dozens of other forms before standardization in the 18th century.

Dutch explorer Adriaen Block explored the river in 1614, calling it 'Versche Rivier' (Fresh River), but the English colonists who established permanent settlements in the Connecticut River Valley in 1633-1636 adopted the indigenous name. The Connecticut Colony was one of the original Thirteen Colonies, and the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut (1638-1639) is considered by some historians to be the first written constitution in the Western tradition.

When Connecticut ratified the U.S. Constitution on January 9, 1788, it became the 5th state. The demonym 'Connecticuter' is somewhat unusual among U.S. states—alternative forms include 'Connecticutian' and informally 'Nutmegger' (referencing the state's nickname, the 'Nutmeg State'). The '-er' ending in 'Connecticuter' follows the Germanic suffix pattern, similar to 'New Yorker' or 'Vermonter,' rather than the Latin-derived '-ian' suffix.