Interregnum

[meridian_rose]

Good morning! For my first ever post I bring you the word Interregnum (in·ter·reg·num), noun, Latin.

1. The interval of time between the end of a sovereign's reign and the accession of a successor.
2. A period of temporary suspension of the usual functions of government or control.
3. A gap in continuity.
[Latin : inter-, inter- + rgnum, reign]

Despite the etymology, the term can be applied to not only a time period between monarchs, but also that between popes, emperors of the Holy Roman Empire, the pastorates of ministers in some Protestant churches, the period of time between the election of a new President of the United States and his or her inauguration (during which the outgoing president remains in power, but as a lame duck) and the period between the election of a new parliament and the establishment of a new government from that parliament in parliamentary democracies.

Comments

[alphawox.livejournal.com]

I think this is the first word I knew right off the bat without reading the definition (just because it was the title of an episode of a TV show and I had already looked it up, in addition to it being explained in dialogue)!!

[meridian_rose]

I hope you're not disappointed! I know I get a kick out of knowing the meaning of the word of the day :)

[alphawox.livejournal.com]

Oh heck no! I'm just surprised that I knew it!

[jesuslovesbono.livejournal.com]

would this word apply to the brief period of time between the death of JFK and the swearing-in of LBJ?

That's a good question

[meridian_rose]

US Politics is not my specialty but I believe until the VP is sworn in, the death of a President would count as beginning an interregnum. I've found this paper which states "If ever there was a time when non-Americans genuinely loved the leader of the imperialist world, it must have been during the JFK interregnum" so it would not be a unique usage.