raucous

[vacuumfoam]

rau·cous /ˈrɔkəs/ [raw-kuhs]

–adjective
1. harsh; strident; grating: raucous voices; raucous laughter.
2. rowdy; disorderly: a raucous party.

Origin:
1760–70; < L raucus hoarse, harsh, rough; see -ous

—Related forms
rau·cous·ly, adverb
rau·cous·ness, rau·ci·ty  /ˈrɔsɪti/ [raw-si-tee], noun

—Synonyms
1. rough, jarring, raspy.

—Antonyms
1. soft, mellow, dulcet.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2010.

raucous
1769, from L. raucus "hoarse," related to ravus "hoarse," from PIE echoic base *reu- "make hoarse cries" (cf. Skt. rayati "barks," ravati "roars;" Gk. oryesthai "to howl, roar;" L. racco "a roar;" O.C.S. rjevo "I roar;" Lith. rekti "roar;" O.E. rarian "to wail, bellow"). M.E. had rauc, in the same sense, from the same source.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper

[Slava]

Well, with the political season coming up, I expect we'll hear about some raucous caucuses.

I'm intrigued by how often I've not really understood words at times. I would use raucous as noisy, loud, harsh, strident; but not hoarse.

You get hoarse from being raucous, which then makes you much quieter. Or so thought I.

[vacuumfoam]

Maybe it's my Texas upbringing, but I always associated raucous with ruckus, a noisy commotion; fracas; rumpus. The hoarse meaning came as a surprise to me also.