filibuster

filibuster
\ \ [16] Filibuster and freebooter [16] are doublets: that is to say, they come from the same ultimate source, but have subsequently diverged. Freebooterpirate’ was borrowed from Dutch vrijbuiter, a compound formed from vrijfree’ and buiterplunderer’ (this was a derivative of buitloot’, to which English booty is related).
\ \ But English was not the only language to adopt it; French wanted it too, but mangled it somewhat in the borrowing, to flibustier. It was then handed on to Spanish, as filibustero. It is not clear where the 16th-century English use of the word with an l spelling rather than an r spelling (which is recorded in only one text) comes from.
\ \ The French form flibustier was borrowed towards the end of the 18th century, and presentday filibuster came from the Spanish form in the mid-19th century. The use of the term for ‘obstructing a legislature with an overlong speech’ (which has now virtually obliterated its former semantic equivalence to freebooter) originated in the USA in the 1880s.
\ \ Cf.BOOTY, FREE, FREEBOOTER

Word origins - 2ed. . 2005.

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  • filibuster — fil·i·bus·ter 1 / fi lə ˌbəs tər/ n: the use of extreme dilatory tactics in an attempt to delay or prevent action esp. in a legislative assembly; also: an instance of this practice filibuster 2 vb tered, ter·ing vi: to engage in a filibuster vt:… …   Law dictionary

  • filibuster — FILIBÚSTER s.n. Practică constând în rostirea de discursuri interminabile, folosite în Congresul S.U.a. de cei care încercau să împiedice adoptarea unor legi nedorite. [cf. engl. fleeboster, germ. Filibuster]. Trimis de LauraGellner, 25.03.2005.… …   Dicționar Român

  • filibuster — [fil′i bus΄tər] n. [Sp filibustero < Fr flibustier, earlier fribustier < MDu vrijbuiter, FREEBOOTER] 1. an adventurer who engages in unauthorized warfare against a country with which his own country is at peace; specif., any of the 19th… …   English World dictionary

  • Filibuster — Fil i*bus*ter, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Fillibustered}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Filibustering}.] 1. To act as a filibuster, or military freebooter. Bartlett. [1913 Webster] 2. To delay legislation, by dilatory motions or other artifices. [political cant or… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • filibuster — ► NOUN ▪ prolonged speaking which obstructs progress in a legislative assembly. ► VERB ▪ obstruct legislation with a filibuster. ORIGIN French flibustier, first applied to pirates who pillaged the Spanish colonies in the West Indies, influenced… …   English terms dictionary

  • Filibuster — Fil i*bus ter, n. [Sp. flibuster, flibustero, corrupted fr. E. freebooter. See {Freebooter}.] A lawless military adventurer, especially one in quest of plunder; a freebooter; originally applied to buccaneers infesting the Spanish American coasts …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Filibuster — (span.), soviel wie Flibustier …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • filibuster — (n.) 1580s, flibutor pirate, probably ultimately from Du. vrijbuiter freebooter, used of pirates in the West Indies as Sp. filibustero and Fr. flibustier, either or both of which gave the word to Amer.Eng. (see FREEBOOTER (Cf. freebooter)). Used… …   Etymology dictionary

  • filibuster — filibùster m DEFINICIJA v. flibustijer …   Hrvatski jezični portal

  • filibuster — [n] obstruction of progress, especially in verbal argument delay, hindrance, holding the floor*, interference, opposition, postponement, procrastination, stonewalling*, talkathon*; concept 298 Ant. catalyst, impetus, incentive, progression …   New thesaurus

  • Filibuster — A filibuster, or talking out a bill , is a form of obstruction in a legislature or other decision making body. An attempt is made to infinitely extend debate upon a proposal in order to delay the progress or completely prevent a vote on the… …   Wikipedia

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