CAUCASIAN

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Dr. Goodword
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CAUCASIAN

Postby Dr. Goodword » Mon Sep 14, 2009 10:58 pm

• Caucasian •

Pronunciation: kaw-kay-zhên • Hear it!

Part of Speech: Adjective, Noun

Meaning: 1. Related to the people or languages of the Caucasus Mountains or a person from the Caucasus. 2. Related to people with white skin or such a person.

Notes: Today's Good Word refers to the peoples (Georgians, Armenians, Chechens, and others) and cultures located in the Caucasus Mountains, though it is also used in the United States to refer to all people with white skins. Remember that Caucasus is singular and say, "The Caucasus is–not are–beautiful," if you omit Mountains. Avoid the problem altogether by calling the region between the Black and Caspian Seas Caucasia and the mountains dividing Europe from Asia in that region, the Caucasus Mountains.

In Play: First of all today's Good Word refers to the region of Caucasia and the Caucasus Mountains in it: "We are lucky to have Caucasian friends who invite us to the Caucasus every spring for skiing." The second sense of this word has wondered pretty far from the original for reasons discussed in the Word History: "Sal McGundy was the only Caucasian graduating last year from the Ching Ching School of Chinese Cooking."

Word History: Today's word is the adjective for Caucasus, the name of the mountain range of Caucasia. In 1795 the German anthropologist Johann Blumenbach wrongly identified the Caucasus as the origin of European and Far Eastern peoples, based on measurements of their skulls. This meaning led to the distinction between "white" and "nonwhite" Caucasians and finally to the conclusion that all Caucasians are white, making the still popular term "white Caucasian" redundant. The name of the mountain range comes from Greek kaukhasis, said by Pliny (Natural History XVII) to be from a Scythian word kroy-khasis, "ice-shining, white with snow." Since Scythian, an ancient Iranian language, has not been preserved, we have no way of confirming Pliny's analysis. (We wish we could offer Helen Krystallis a Caucasian vacation for suggesting today's Good Word but our budget forces us to make do with our usual "Thank you".)
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Slava
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Postby Slava » Tue Sep 15, 2009 9:55 pm

Ever since I learned about the existence of the "real" Caucasians, this word has fascinated me. As an American Polyack, I am most definitely NOT a Caucasian, so how is it I grew up being called Caucasian? Now we know, eh? An accident of history.

However, if you've ever been to Russia, you know that it's better to be Caucasian in the Western sense than a "litso kavkazkoi natsional'nosti."
Life is like playing chess with chessmen who each have thoughts and feelings and motives of their own.

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Postby misterdoe » Mon Sep 21, 2009 11:11 am

What always used to make me chuckle was hearing a person being described as "of the Caucasian persuasion." Was somewhat common among black teens when I was growing up. I always wondered, who persuaded him? :)

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Postby Stargzer » Mon Sep 21, 2009 9:56 pm

I've heard that figure of speech "of the xxx persuasion" many times over the years (including "of the Colored Persuasion"), but your example has the advantage of rhyming. Now that I think of it, is it a figure of speech, an idiom, or a euphemism?
Regards//Larry

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Postby misterdoe » Mon Sep 21, 2009 11:17 pm

I've heard that figure of speech "of the xxx persuasion" many times over the years (including "of the Colored Persuasion"), but your example has the advantage of rhyming.
Besides the other example, I've only heard "Asian persuasion," and that only from Asian comics. :?
Now that I think of it, is it a figure of speech, an idiom, or a euphemism?


All of the above.


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