calypso

Meanings

Noun

• A type of music and dance that originated in the West Indies (perhaps Trinidad), characterized by improvised lyrics on topical or broadly humorous subjects, often creating satire of current events.
• A bulbous bog orchid of the genus Calypso, Calypso bulbosa (species)
• A light blue color.

Verb

• To perform calypso.

Origin

• Originally Trinidad English, an alteration of kaiso, perhaps ultimately of African origin; Allsopp 1996 suggests Ibibio ka iso, used to urge dancers on. The spelling reflects a later folk-etymological assimilation with the mythological name Calypso.
• From Latin, itself from Ancient Greek Καλυψώ