This word describing Penn State's Lions comes from an Algonquian term meaning "single mountain"
Thus by the time Penn 
State admitted its first students in 1859, the word "Nittany" was... [DOC] [TLE] Mount Nittany - Revolvy [PAR] Penn State University lies at the foot of Mount Nittany; the athletic teams and ... 
from the Algonquian language word Nit-A-Nee meaning "single mountain".