caste
UK[kɑːst]US[kæst]
n
A social class separated from others by distinctions of hereditary rank, profession, or wealth.
n
A system of such rigid social stratification.
Etymology
The word 'caste' is a direct borrowing into English from the Iberian languages in the 16th century, specifically from the Portuguese 'casta', meaning "race, lineage". The Portuguese term is thought to originate from the Latin adjective 'castus', which means "pure, chaste, cut off from impurity". This etymological journey reflects the core concept of the caste system: a social group defined by its perceived purity and strict separation from others, maintaining its lineage without intermixture. The term was first applied by European traders and colonists to describe the complex, hereditary social hierarchy they observed in India, and its meaning later broadened to describe any rigid system of social stratification based on birth.
Analysis
The word is a simplex loanword. It entered English from Portuguese/Spanish 'casta', meaning "race, lineage, breed". This likely derived from Latin 'castus', meaning "pure, chaste".
Examples
The traditional society was rigidly divided by caste.
He argued that discrimination based on caste should be outlawed.
The feeling of being trapped in a particular social caste was overwhelming.