Διαβάζοντας το νήμα αυτό κι επειδή σήμερα έγραψα κάπου το
καύκαλο (άσχετο),
εξήφθη μου άναψε η περιέργεια κι έριξα μια ματιά στο OED για την ετυμολογία τού
caucus. Ιδού τα ενδιαφέροντα που αναφέρει:
[Arose in New England: origin obscure.
Alleged to have been used in Boston U.S. before 1724; quotations go back to 1763. Already in 1774 Gordon (Hist. Amer. Rev.) could obtain no ‘satisfactory account of the origin of the name’. Mr. Pickering, in 1816, as a mere guess, thought it ‘not improbable that caucus might be a corruption of caulkers', the word “meetings” being understood’. For this, and the more detailed statement quoted in Webster, there is absolutely no evidence beyond the similarity of sound; and the word was actually in use before the date (1770) of the event mentioned in Webster. Dr. J. H. Trumbull (Proc. Amer. Philol. Assoc. 1872) has suggested possible derivation from an Algonkin word cau′-cau-as′u, which occurs in Capt. Smith's Virginia 23, as Caw-cawaassough ‘one who advises, urges, encourages’, from a vb. meaning primarily ‘to talk to’, hence ‘to give counsel, advise, encourage’, and ‘to urge, promote, incite to action’. For such a derivation there is claimed the general suitability of the form and sense, and it is stated that Indian names were commonly taken by clubs and secret associations in New England; but there appears to be no direct evidence.]
1. In U.S. A private meeting of the leaders or representatives of a political party, previous to an election or to a general meeting of the party, to select candidates for office, or to concert other measures for the furthering of party interests; opprobriously*, a meeting of ‘wire-pullers’.
2. In English newspapers since 1878, generally misused, and applied opprobriously to a committee or organization charged with seeking to manage the elections and dictate to the constituencies, but which is, in fact, usually a representative committee popularly elected for the purpose of securing concerted political action in a constituency.
It was first applied in 1878, by Lord Beaconsfield and the Times newspaper, to the organization of the Birmingham Liberal ‘Six Hundred’, and thence to those which were speedily formed on its model elsewhere; the implication being that this was an introduction of ‘the American system’ into English politics, which deserved to be branded with an American name. But the name was grotesquely misapplied: in American use, a caucus is a meeting; English newspapers apply the caucus to an organization or system. Such organizations have since been, in one form or another, adopted by all parties; and caucus is now a term which partizans fling at the organizations of their opponents, and disclaim for their own.
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Για τους τεϊοπαρμένους πάντως, αυτόματα μου ήρθε η λέξη
κονκλάβιο (ΛΚΝ):
κονκλάβιο το [koŋklávio] & κογκλάβιο το [koŋglávio] Ο41 : 1. μειωτικός χαρακτηρισμός συμβουλίου, συνήθ. ανωτέρου επιπέδου, του οποίου κύριο χαρακτηριστικό είναι η έλλειψη διαφάνειας στη λήψη των αποφάσεων, η μυστικότητα και ο κλειστός χαρακτήρας του. 2. αίθουσα όπου συνεδριάζουν οι καρδινάλιοι για να εκλέξουν νέο πάπα. || το συμβούλιο των καρδιναλίων.
[λόγ. < μσνλατ. conclav(e) `συνέλευση αξιωματούχων΄, λατ. σημ.: `δωμάτιο κλεισμένο με κλειδί΄ -ιον· ορθογρ. αφομ. νκ > γκ]
*τι ωραία λέξη το opprobrious, ταμάμ για τους τσαγοκουνημένους.
