Caucasus

Via Latin Caucasus, from Ancient Greek Καύκασος (Kaúkasos).

• Audio (US):

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• IPA^(key): /ˈkɔːkəsəs/
• Homophone: caucuses

Caucasus

1. A mountain range in Eastern Europe between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, on territory of Russia, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan, which includes the ranges of Greater Caucasus and Lesser Caucasus.
   • 1851, Lieutenant Maturin Murray, The Circassian Slave, or The Sultan's Favorite:

     […] from the long and rugged ravines of the Caucasus, […]

   • 1887, Walter Savage Landor, Gebir:

     Driven with that weak blast which Winter leaves, / Closing his palace gates on Caucasus, / […]

   • 1895, Robert W. Chambers, The King In Yellow:

     Germany, Italy, Spain and Belgium writhed in the throes of Anarchy, while Russia, watching from the Caucasus, stooped and bound them one by one.

2. (geopolitics) A geopolitical region in Eastern Europe and Western Asia, deriving its name from the aforementioned mountains.

• Usually referred to as the Caucasus, but not always (see quot. 1887)

Borrowed from Ancient Greek Καύκασος (Kaúkasos).

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /ˈkau̯.ka.sus/, [ˈkäu̯käs̠ʊs̠]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈkau̯.ka.sus/, [ˈkäːu̯käs̬us]

Caucasus m sg (genitive Caucasī); second declension

1. Caucasus

Second-declension noun, singular only.

• Catalan: Caucas
• French: Caucase
• Galician: Cáucaso
• Italian: Caucaso
• Occitan: Caucàs
• Portuguese: Cáucaso
• Romanian: Caucaz
• Spanish: Cáucaso
  • → Basque: Kaukaso
• → Arabic: اَلْقَوْقَاز (al-qawqāz)
  • → Azerbaijani: Qafqaz
  • → Pashto: قفقاز (qafqāz, qavqāz)
  • → Classical Persian:
    • Persian: قفقاز (qafqâz)
    • Tajik: Қафқоз (Qafqoz)
  • → Tatar: Qawqaz
• → Danish: Kaukasus (learned)
• → Dutch: Kaukasus (learned)
• → English: Caucasus (learned)
• → Finnish: Kaukasus (learned)
• → German: Kaukasus (learned)
• → Hungarian: Kaukázus (learned)
• → Middle Irish: Cucas
  • Irish: Cugas
• → Russian: Кавказ (Kavkaz) (see there for further descendants)