caste
/kɑːst/
noun
Origin
Portuguese
casta — lineage, breed, or kind
Overview
Meaning Now
- Each of the hereditary classes of Hindu society, distinguished by relative degrees of ritual purity or social status.
- Any rigid system of social distinctions or class structure.
Literal older meaning
lineage, race, or breed
Language path
Latin → Portuguese → English
Earliest form
casta
Earliest period
16th century
Journey
The term was introduced by Portuguese explorers in India during the early 16th century to categorize the complex system of social stratification (varna and jati) they encountered. While the Portuguese word 'casta' meant lineage or breed, it was applied to the Indian social system, subsequently cementing the English term 'caste' as the standard descriptor for rigid, hereditary social hierarchies globally.
Evolution
- Latin
castus
“pure, unmixed, chaste”
The semantic shift occurred through the idea of a 'pure' or 'unmixed' lineage.
- 16th century Portuguese
casta
“lineage, social class”
Used by Portuguese explorers to describe the Indian social strata.
- 17th century English
caste
“hereditary social class”
Adopted into English via Portuguese, influenced by the Latin spelling.
Connections
Word parts
cast-
root
pure
-e
ending
adaptation
Related across languages
Spanish
casta
lineage, caste
French
caste
Explore next
Related to caste
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.