海角大神

As just about everyone knows, the divided and divisive United States Congress is divided not only into parties but into caucuses.

The House Freedom Caucus was blamed 鈥� or credited 鈥� for the recent failure of the health-care bill, for instance.

And during the president鈥檚 much-颅discussed news conference Feb. 16, his attention was invited to the existence of the Congressional Black Caucus, with whom he later met.

Caucus is also congressional Democrats鈥� term for their representation as a whole in either chamber.(The Republicans call their blocs 鈥渃onferences.鈥�)

Here鈥檚 the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) on caucus:

鈥淚n 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 鈥榳ire-pullers鈥�.鈥�

The first part of the definition refers to what we might call the Iowa sense of caucus: part of choosing a president. The second, 鈥渇urthering of party interests,鈥� is the kind of caucus found in Congress.

And as for 鈥渨ire-pullers鈥�: As you read that, can鈥檛 you just picture the disapproving arching of the lexicographical eyebrow? A caucus meeting, we might say, is one that goes on in a smoke-filled room 鈥� even if no one smokes anymore.

What are the roots of caucus? 鈥淥rigin obscure鈥� is the OED鈥檚 summary 鈥� and it鈥檚 totally unrelated to the Caucasus, by the way.

Caucus was first used in Boston during the 18th century. The OED鈥檚 first usage example, from a Boston newspaper in 1760, was 鈥淭he new and grand Corcas ... The old and true Corcas.鈥�

Note the distinctive New England phonetic spelling 鈥� r鈥檚 are ah鈥檚 or aw鈥檚 here.

A few years later, John Adams noted in his diary: 鈥淭his day learned that the Caucas Clubb meets at certain Times in the Garret of Tom Daws.鈥�

But scholars have sought the true root of caucus since revolutionary times.

The Online Etymology Dictionary quotes an English historian fretting in 1788 that all 鈥渕y repeated applications to different gentlemen have not furnished me with a satisfactory account of the origin of caucus.鈥�

One possibility: that it comes from kaukos, a Greek word for 鈥渄rinking cup鈥�: The 鈥淐aucas Clubb鈥� Adams knew of may have served refreshments, too.

Another idea: that it鈥檚 a Native American derivation. The OED identifies a plausible source in an Algonquin verb meaning 鈥渢o give counsel, advise, encourage.鈥� Moreover, New Englanders often borrowed Indian names for secret societies; 鈥渂ut there appears to be no direct evidence鈥� that this verb led to caucus. And so caucus remains a distinctive part of American political terminology, even as its roots remain distinctively obscure.

Was 鈥渃aucus meeting鈥� originally a 鈥渃aulker鈥檚 meeting鈥�? Dictionaries dismiss this idea, but it鈥檚 grown on me: It suggests politicians trying to devise policies that, even if not watertight 鈥� or leakproof 鈥� will somehow at least hold together.