Caste Comes From a Portuguese Word for Pure
A caste is a hereditary social class. The English word was applied to Indian society by Portuguese traders, using their own term.
A caste is a hereditary social class into which a person is born. The word is not Indian: Portuguese traders in the sixteenth century used their own *casta*, meaning race, lineage or pure stock, to describe the social divisions they encountered in India, and English borrowed their label rather than the local terms *varna* and *jati*. In biology the same word names the functional groups in a colony of ants or bees.
- A hereditary class. *Caste divisions.*
- A rigid social system. *The caste system.*
- A group in an insect colony. *The worker caste.*
- Casteism — discrimination by caste. *Laws against casteism.*
- Portuguese — *casta*, pure stock. *The source word.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | caste | A lower caste. |
| Plural | castes | Several castes. |
| Adjective | caste | Caste divisions. |
| Related | casteism | Casteism persists. |
| Portuguese | casta | Lineage, pure stock. |
- Caste discrimination is unlawful in India.Legal.
- Termite colonies have distinct castes.Biology.
- The word came from Portuguese casta.Etymology.
Caste, class, rank
- Caste — determined by birth, in principle unchangeable
- Class — social and economic, in principle movable
- Rank — position within an organisation
- Varna and jati — the Indian terms the Portuguese word replaced
- In biology — a functional group within a colony
Portuguese and Spanish *casta*, race or lineage, from Latin *castus*, pure or chaste. English applied it to South Asian society from the 1600s.
Is caste an Indian word?
No. It is Portuguese, applied by European traders to Indian social divisions. The Indian terms are varna and jati.
What is a caste in biology?
A group of individuals in a social insect colony with a specific role, such as workers, soldiers or reproductives.