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Today it means

caste

a hereditary social class, especially within Hindu society

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Where does the word "caste" come from? It comes from Portuguese casta, and was adopted directly into English (1600s).

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Where does the word "caste" come from? It comes from Portuguese casta, and was adopted directly into English (1600s).

Caste’s story begins in Portuguese: casta meant “lineage, breed, race.” Literally lineage or breed, applied by Portuguese traders to India's social divisions. It reached English by 1600s as caste. Settled as the English word for a hereditary social division. Today, caste means a hereditary social class, especially within Hindu society.

  1. Stage 1 · Portuguese · 1500s casta "lineage, breed, race", literally lineage or breed, applied by Portuguese traders to India's social divisions.
  2. Stage 2 · English · 1600s caste "a hereditary social class", settled as the English word for a hereditary social division.

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