Comments on: What is a “Hoya”? http://mtdewvirus.com/archives/2007/04/12/what-is-a-hoya/ Nick Momrik Tue, 07 Oct 2008 08:53:42 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: JB http://mtdewvirus.com/archives/2007/04/12/what-is-a-hoya/#comment-70142 JB Thu, 11 Oct 2007 19:02:03 +0000 http://mtdewvirus.com/archives/2007/04/12/what-is-a-hoya/#comment-70142 The origins of the word "Hoya" defy simple explanation. Over the years, some have claimed it is an Indian word, while those of a legal mind thought it related to the French word oyez, the traditional opening of judicial sessions. Still others held that with Georgetown's location along a river, Hoya might be an offshoot of the nautical "ahoy". None of these claims have held water, so to speak. The official explanation holds that there was a baseball team at Georgetown called the "Stonewalls". It is suggested that a student, applying Greek and Latin, dubbed the team the "hoia saxa" — hoia is the Greek neuter plural for "what" or "what a", while saxa is the Latin neuter plural for "rock". Substituting a "y" for an "i"; "hoya saxa" literally means "what rocks". The origins of the word “Hoya” defy simple explanation. Over the years, some have claimed it is an Indian word, while those of a legal mind thought it related to the French word oyez, the traditional opening of judicial sessions. Still others held that with Georgetown’s location along a river, Hoya might be an offshoot of the nautical “ahoy”. None of these claims have held water, so to speak.

The official explanation holds that there was a baseball team at Georgetown called the “Stonewalls”. It is suggested that a student, applying Greek and Latin, dubbed the team the “hoia saxa” — hoia is the Greek neuter plural for “what” or “what a”, while saxa is the Latin neuter plural for “rock”. Substituting a “y” for an “i”; “hoya saxa” literally means “what rocks”.

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