An archaic or regional term, possibly referring to a female caddie (golf caddy) or a form related to caddis materials or activities.
This appears to be an obsolete or extremely dialectal term with uncertain etymology. It may derive from 'cad' + a feminine suffix '-esse', following French-influenced patterns in English for creating feminine noun forms, but historical attestation is limited and the word is essentially obsolete.
Dead words like 'caddesse' are linguistic fossils—they tell us English once had productive feminine endings borrowed from French, like '-esse' (as in 'countess'). These forms mostly disappeared because English lost its gender system, leaving behind scattered relics that puzzle modern lexicographers.
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