Ask Alabama: Where does the word 'Dixie' come from?

Followers of Ask Alabama wanted to know the most likely origin of the word "Dixie".

[ianstradian]

The Citizens bank of Louisiana was located at 214 rue Royal ( 214 Royal street) the current location of Brennan’s in the French Quarters.
The word Dix is a French word for Ten so it would be pronounced Deces, but English speakers didn’t know how to pronounce this so it got transmuted to Dixie.
So Alabama might be the heart of Dixie, the birth place is at 214 Rue Royal New Orleans Louisiana.

[buddyclem]

The Mason-Dixon Line also defines the border between Pennsylvania and West Virginia, and interestingly enough, West Virginia exists because we were granted statehood on June 20th, 1863 in exchange for joining The Union. Also, "dix" is pronounced DEE.

[Chris-lhwj]

I used to shop at Winn Dixie before they eventually got bought out, and also played in Dixie Youth little league baseball. Of course the word is slowly being erased, along with most of the culture and history in the south.

[youhaveavirus]

Alabama is not called Dixie it’s everything down south is called Dixie

[carlthornton]

You are right! You aint whistling DIXIE!!! ALABAMA is the HEART of DIXIE!!!

[chucksuter]

im sorry, but i was a history major and honestly deal with it, the term dixie comes from the mason dixon line. just like when people say north of dixie, they are saying north of the line. maryland is called the old line state because it drew the sharp jarring difference in beliefs around the civil war, which if the massachusetts regiment hadn't interfered, maryland would have joined the confederacy as the third state to secede. Dixie was also the nickname given to the plantation owned by jeremiah dixon which was in the grasslands, also considered the chesapeake low country in somerset county md

[oilchange]

Where's Arkansas? We're sooo southern! 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️

[vanillalemonfox]

“Magic city, hot Lana, or the big ezzy”
I have lived in Alabama my whole life and I’ve never heard any of those nicknames except Dixie, but that’s it.

[davesteller]

Seriously? Wasn't it from the name Dixon? As in the Mason-Dixon line. I've always believed that

[jmartin]

Of course you would not know how to say it you are an American and Americans are sick when it comes to language even the language that is supposed to be your official language English . I am not French but speak not for a while but still remember and it is DIX said as DEECE