# How many different names have been applied to governing, deliberative bodies? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 9, 2013, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-different-names-have-been-applied-to-governing-deliberative-bodies/655232 "2013-04-09T15:43:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2013, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-different-names-have-been-applied-to-governing-deliberative-bodies/655232/1 "2013-04-09T15:43:38Z")
Virginia once had a House of Burgesses. Now we have a lower house of Delegates and an upper house of Senators. The US federal system has senators as well, with a lower house of Representatives. Some cities have aldermen. Or council members. The UK has a parliament. Council members Alderman Burgesses Members of Parliament Senators Representatives What am I missing? What other terms have been used for deliberative bodies in the English-speaking world? ---
**Author:** ![lawbuff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/13edae/32.png) [@lawbuff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lawbuff)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2013, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-different-names-have-been-applied-to-governing-deliberative-bodies/655232/2 "2013-04-09T16:11:51Z")
Some northern states have SELECTMAN, similar to a council member. ---
**Author:** ![lawbuff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/13edae/32.png) [@lawbuff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lawbuff)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2013, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-different-names-have-been-applied-to-governing-deliberative-bodies/655232/3 "2013-04-09T16:14:32Z")
Oh, just remembered; The San Francisco **Board of Supervisors** is the legislative body within the government of the City and County of San Francisco, California, United States. ---
**Author:** ![moriah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b2d939/32.png) [@moriah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moriah)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2013, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-different-names-have-been-applied-to-governing-deliberative-bodies/655232/4 "2013-04-09T16:16:48Z")
Well, in the U.S., Senators and Representatives together are known as Congress. Board Elders (presbyterium in ecclesiastical talk) Freeholders Diet And now… to the thesaurus… assembly association caucus chamber club (executive) committee conclave conference convention convocation forum guild league legislature symposium ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2013, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-different-names-have-been-applied-to-governing-deliberative-bodies/655232/5 "2013-04-09T16:17:08Z")
The House of Lords includes Lords Temporal and Lords Spiritual. The Continental Congress was made up of delegates. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2013, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-different-names-have-been-applied-to-governing-deliberative-bodies/655232/6 "2013-04-09T16:38:39Z")
New York has an Assembly and a Senate. Additionally, many counties in New York have legislative chambers which are just called Legislatures. (Not very creative.) The members are called Legislators. Some towns have boards of Selectmen or Supervisors. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2013, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-different-names-have-been-applied-to-governing-deliberative-bodies/655232/7 "2013-04-09T16:48:44Z")
City Council Town Council ---
**Author:** ![ctnguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@ctnguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ctnguy)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2013, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-different-names-have-been-applied-to-governing-deliberative-bodies/655232/8 "2013-04-09T17:24:14Z")
Legislative Assembly Legislative Council House of Assembly House of Delegates National Assembly National Council ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2013, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-different-names-have-been-applied-to-governing-deliberative-bodies/655232/9 "2013-04-09T17:32:35Z")
Nebraska has a “Unicameral”. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2013, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-different-names-have-been-applied-to-governing-deliberative-bodies/655232/10 "2013-04-09T17:37:47Z")
The Nebraska Legislature is called the Nebraska Legislature. Unicameral is an adjective and just means it has one chamber. ---
**Author:** ![dstarfire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dstarfire/32/5762_2.png) [@dstarfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dstarfire)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2013, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-different-names-have-been-applied-to-governing-deliberative-bodies/655232/11 "2013-04-09T17:44:55Z")
What do they call the leaders in communist countries? Are there any secular councils in the middle east? what are their members called? I’m especially curious what our Asian friends call their senator-types, though I’ve got this vague impression (possibly mistaken) that most of Asia is either communist (China, N. Korea, Vietnam) or still using a monarchical system with hereditary (rather than elected) nobility. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2013, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-different-names-have-been-applied-to-governing-deliberative-bodies/655232/12 "2013-04-09T17:58:55Z")
You know only the top half of Korea is communist, right? 🙂 The South Korean legislature is called the National Assembly in English. Japan of course has its famous bicameral Diet, with the senior house being a House of Councillors. ---
**Author:** ![Do\_Not\_Taunt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/do_not_taunt/32/2968_2.png) [@Do\_Not\_Taunt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Do_Not_Taunt)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2013, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-different-names-have-been-applied-to-governing-deliberative-bodies/655232/13 "2013-04-09T18:03:35Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > The Nebraska Legislature is called the Nebraska Legislature. Unicameral is an adjective and just means it has one chamber. Perhaps officially, but I have heard Nebraskans refer to their state legislative body as ‘The Unicameral.’ ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2013, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-different-names-have-been-applied-to-governing-deliberative-bodies/655232/14 "2013-04-09T18:08:12Z")
Yeah, well Nebraskans also make sculptures out of butter so don’t take anything they say too seriously. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2013, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-different-names-have-been-applied-to-governing-deliberative-bodies/655232/15 "2013-04-09T18:33:41Z")
“Diet” etymology? With the permission of OP, may this be opened to non- Anglo, as long as literals or root concepts are explained? Eg, the parliamentary body in Israel is the Knesset (although no caps in Hebrew). From to come together (kns trilitteral root). Actually that’s probably wrong. Passive noun “have been gathered”? I must leave it to people who know more. Anyway, that sort of post. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2013, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-different-names-have-been-applied-to-governing-deliberative-bodies/655232/16 "2013-04-09T18:45:46Z")
Also, a governing body of the Soviet Uniin is…a Soviet. But I don’t know what that means literally. Also, for English, I just found that the Confederate States of America remains a [functioning government-in-internal-exile](http://csa.systekproof.com/?page_id=63) (does the FBI know about this?!! More important, does Ken Burns?) and they refer to their legislators as “representatives.” ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2013, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-different-names-have-been-applied-to-governing-deliberative-bodies/655232/17 "2013-04-09T18:53:03Z")
The “lower” half of the Mexican national legislature (the equivalent of the House of Representatives) is the Chamber of Deputies. The upper half is, of course, the Sheriffs. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2013, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-different-names-have-been-applied-to-governing-deliberative-bodies/655232/18 "2013-04-09T18:56:03Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > The “lower” half of the Mexican national legislature (the equivalent of the House of Representatives) is the Chamber of Deputies. > > The upper half is, of course, the Sheriffs. Original Spanish for each? ---
**Author:** ![moriah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b2d939/32.png) [@moriah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moriah)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2013, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-different-names-have-been-applied-to-governing-deliberative-bodies/655232/19 "2013-04-09T19:10:29Z")
> [@Leo\_Bloom](#): > > “Diet” etymology? Let me introduce you to a multisearching online dictionary: [OneLook](http://www.onelook.com/?w=diet&ls=a&loc=2osdf). Among the dictionaries results, I recommend going to the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, which is the one Yahoo uses, for etymologies. Your answer is here: [Yahoo | Mail, Weather, Search, Politics, News, Finance, Sports & Videos](http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entry/diet_2) Is there something you’d like me go Google for you or look up on Wikipedia? 😛 ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2013, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-different-names-have-been-applied-to-governing-deliberative-bodies/655232/20 "2013-04-09T19:37:02Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > The Nebraska Legislature is called the Nebraska Legislature. Unicameral is an adjective and just means it has one chamber. The single (unicameral) chamber is called the Senate. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-different-names-have-been-applied-to-governing-deliberative-bodies/655232.md?page=2)