Oklahoma

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A state in the South Central region of the United States, known for its diverse landscape and Native American heritage
2. A U.S. state characterized by Great Plains, forests, and a rich cultural history rooted in both Native American and Western traditions
3. The 46th state of the United States, distinguished by its history, geology, and various cultural influences, including significant Native American populations

Etymology: The name is Choctaw, though it was not coined for the state. The Choctaw words "okla," meaning "people," and "homa," meaning "red," were combined to form "Oklahoma," a phrase that became the name of the territory and later the state. The compound was first used as a name for Native American lands in the mid-nineteenth century, when the federal government was assembling the territory for relocated tribes. The phrase was popularized by Allen Wright, a Choctaw Christian minister and scholar who proposed it in 1866 as a name for the Indian Territory's reorganized lands. Wright, who was fluent in Choctaw and a translator, is credited with pairing the two words in a way that expressed the idea of "red people," a reference to the Indigenous nations who had been moved to the region. The name was adopted for the Oklahoma Territory in 1890 and became the official name of the state when Oklahoma was admitted to the Union in 1907. Few American state names carry such a direct, unembellished meaning in an Indigenous language.