cavvy

(caballada [kapajáða]< Spanish caballo 'horse' plus the collective suffix -ada; 'a herd of horses')

   1) Texas: 1821 (caballada); Southwest Texas: 1937 (cavvy). A band of saddle horses; refers to the mounts owned by a ranch when they are not being ridden. Although Adams indicates that this term refers exclusively to domesticated horses, Watts notes that in literature it has been applied occasionally to a band of wild horses. The DARE indicates that it may have meant a grouping of horses or mules, and Clark says that in rural areas it referred to a group of stray cows, perhaps because some associated the sound of "cavvy" with "calfie." Watts mentions that cavvy and other forms were commonly used to refer to a group of saddle horses on northern ranges in the early days of cattle herding in the West. Remuda was more common in the Southwest and Texas. Later, the variant cavieyah became the standard on northern ranges, while remuda continued to be used on southern ranges. Both the DRAE and Santamaría reference caballada as a herd of horses, both stallions and mares. Although cavvy is considered the most common variant, there are many alternate forms: caavy, cabablada, caballad, caballada, caballado, caballard, caballáda, calf yard, cavalade, cavalgada, caval-lad, cavallada, cavallado, cavallard, cavalry yard, cavalyard, cavayado, cavayard, cavayer, caviada, caviard, caviarde, caviata, caviya, cavoy, cavvayah, cavvayard, cavvie, cavvieyah, cavvieyard, cavvie-yard, cavviyard, cavvieyeh, cavvoy, cavvy yard, cavvyard, cavvy-avvi, cavvyiard, cavy, cavyard, cavyyard, cavy-yard. Some of these alternate forms, such as calf yard, cavalry yard, and other formations that include the term yard are folk etymologies.

   See also manada, mulada.

   2) By extension from (1) a "ca(a)vy"[sic?] was "a pony or saddle horse used on a round-up," according to Hendrickson.

   3) Hendrickson indicates that the term might also refer to "a stray horse or steer." Neither (2) nor (3) are referenced in Spanish sources, but may represent extensions from the original meaning.