Massachusetts

The name Massachusetts derives from the Massachusett tribe, one of the indigenous Algonquian peoples who inhabited the region when English colonists arrived in the early 17th century. The word comes from the Massachusett language (also called Wôpanâak or Wampanoag), an Eastern Algonquian language historically spoken throughout eastern Massachusetts.

The name is generally interpreted to mean "at or about the great hill," from the Massachusett phrase mass-adchu-s-et, where mass means "great," adchu means "hill," and -s-et is a locative suffix meaning "at" or "near." The "great hill" most likely refers to Great Blue Hill (now in Milton, Massachusetts), the highest coastal elevation south of Maine and a prominent landmark visible throughout the region. Early colonists recorded the hill's indigenous name as Massachusett.

Alternative linguistic analyses suggest the name might mean "near the great mountain," with some scholars proposing it referred to the Blue Hills range collectively rather than a single peak. Another interpretation translates it as "at the range of hills," emphasizing the plurality of elevations in the area. The precise Massachusett pronunciation is difficult to reconstruct, but early English colonists recorded various spellings: Massachuset, Massachusett, Massachusets, and Massachusetts.

The Massachusett tribe was part of a larger confederation of Wampanoag peoples who had inhabited the region for thousands of years. European diseases devastated these populations between 1616 and 1619, shortly before the Pilgrims' arrival in 1620. The Massachusetts Bay Colony was officially established in 1630, named after the indigenous people of the region. This colony eventually absorbed the Plymouth Colony and other settlements.

Massachusetts was one of the original Thirteen Colonies and played a pivotal role in the American Revolution, hosting the Boston Tea Party, the battles of Lexington and Concord, and the Siege of Boston. The state ratified the U.S. Constitution on February 6, 1788, becoming the 6th state. The official name is the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, one of four U.S. states designated as "commonwealths" (along with Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Kentucky).

The demonym Massachusettsan is formed by adding -an to the full state name, though the pronunciation often shortens to "Massachusetsan" in casual speech. Alternative demonyms include Bay Stater (referencing the state's nickname "The Bay State") and the informal Masshole (a self-deprecating term embraced by some residents). The -an suffix provides a standard English adjectival ending for forming demonyms from place names.