Caucasian
/kɔːˈkeɪ.ʒən/noun
Relating to the Caucasus region or, historically, to a racial classification once used for people of European ancestry.
Did you know?The racial meaning of Caucasian comes from a now-discredited 18th-century classification by Johann Friedrich Blumenbach, who chose the Caucasus as the supposed source of the “most beautiful” human skull he studied.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
Καύκασος (Káukasos)
“The Caucasus mountain region”
Latin
Latin
Caucasus
“The Caucasus mountains”
18th Century
German
kaukasisch
“Relating to the Caucasus; later used in racial classification”
Late 18th Century
Latin/Scientific
Caucasianus
“A scientific racial category proposed by Blumenbach”
Early 19th Century
English
Caucasian
“A person classified as belonging to the so-called Caucasian race; also, a native or inhabitant of the Caucasus”