caucus

English

Etymology

Unknown. One possible source is Algonquin cawaassough or caucauasu (“counselor, elder, adviser”).[1] A popular folk etymology attested in Great Leaders and National Issues of 1896 stated: "In the early part of the eighteenth century a number of caulkers connected with the shipping business in the North End of Boston held a meeting for consultation. That meeting was the germ of the political caucuses which have formed so prominent a feature of our government ever since its organization."[2] American Heritage Dictionary states the term is taken from the Caucus Club of Boston in the 1760s, possibly derived from Medieval Latin caucus, drinking vessel.[3]

Pronunciation

  • (UK) IPA(key): /ˈkɔː.kəs/
  • Rhymes: -ɔːkəs
  • (US) IPA(key): /ˈkɔ(ː).kəs/, /ˈkɒ(ː).kəs/
  • (cot–caught merger) IPA(key): /ˈkɑ(ː).kəs/

Noun

caucus (plural caucuses or caucusses)

  1. (US) A meeting, especially a preliminary meeting, of persons belonging to a party, to nominate candidates for public office, or to select delegates to a nominating convention, or to confer regarding measures of party policy; a political primary meeting.
  2. (US, Canada) A grouping of all the members of a legislature from the same party.

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

caucus (third-person singular simple present caucuses or caucusses, present participle caucusing or caucussing, simple past and past participle caucused or caucussed)

  1. (US) To meet and participate in caucus.
    • 2006, Associated Press, (reprinted in the Boston Globe) , November 13,
      "Senator Joseph I. Lieberman of Connecticut said yesterday that he will caucus with Senate Democrats in the new Congress, but he would not rule out switching to the Republican caucus if he starts to feel uncomfortable among Democrats."

See also

References

  1. ↑ Wilson, James (1999). The Earth Shall Weep. New York City, NY: Atlantic Monthly Press. pp. 104–105. →ISBN.
  2. ↑ Edward Sylvester Ellis, et al., eds. Great Leaders and National Issues of 1896: containing the lives of the Republican and Democratic candidates for president and vice-president, biographical sketches of the leading men of all parties ... famous campaigns of the past, history of political parties, lives of our former presidents ..., Chapter I.
  3. ↑ "caucus". American Heritage Dictionary (4th ed.). Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company. 2000.

Latin

Noun

caucus m (genitive caucī); second declension

  1. (Late Latin) a drinking vessel

Declension

Second declension.

Case Singular Plural
nominative caucus caucī
genitive caucī caucōrum
dative caucō caucīs
accusative caucum caucōs
ablative caucō caucīs
vocative cauce caucī

Descendants

  • Greek: καύκος
  • Romanian: cauc

References

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