Meaning of the word CASTE

WHAT DOES THE WORD 'CASTE' MEAN?

The word caste is an English word and a HYPERNYM, derived from the Spanish/Portugese word, 'CASTA'. 

It makes it easier to understand what the word 'Caste' actually means, if you understand the two words, HYPERNYM and HYPONYM.

HYPERNYM (Dictionary meaning) is a word with a broad meaning constituting a category into which words with more specific meanings fall; a superordinate. For example, colour is a hypernym of red.

A hypernym is a word with a general meaning that has basically the same meaning of a more specific word.

For example, dog is a hypernym, while collie and chihuahua are more specific subordinate terms called HYPONYMS.

HYPONYM is a word whose meaning is included in the meaning of another word:

"Horse" is a hyponym of "animal" and "Animal" is a Hypernym of "Horse".

BUT

 'Animal' is a Hyponym of the Hypernym "living things". Similarly the word "Plant" is also a hyponym of "Living Things". 

Similarly, the words Varna, Jati, Race, Clan, Tribe and Occupation, all having SPECIFIC meanings and so are hyponyms of the hypernym "CASTE", a word with a more GENERAL meaning.

Casta/Caste doesn't mean Jati but jati falls in the broader category of Casta/Caste.

Nor does Casta/Caste mean Varna but Varna too fall under the category casta/caste.

Caste is not Jati but Jati is Caste 

Caste is not Varna but Varna is Caste.

Caste is not clan, race etc either but the other way round 

The words Varna and/or Jati and/or Occupation and/or Tribe, clan etc, ALL FALL UNDER THE GENERAL TERM CASTA/CASTE.

Casta/Caste (in the Indian sense) = Varna and/or Jati. It can also mean occupation (explanation below).

So, when the Varna and/or Jati apologists say caste is a European construct, tell them, "You ARE right. Caste IS a European word and they do have a dictionary meaning for it but Varna and Jati are NOT European constructs. Therefore, it's not their job to define these terms. So let's talk specifically about Jati/Varna or occupations and NOT about the general term, caste."

When the British used the word "caste" as an admin/legal term to give an identity to the formerly identityless (religionless, Varnaless and Jatiless) untouchables, they  did not and were NOT trying to give them a Jati, Varna or any religion. The identityless had their own beliefs and customs but these were not something that you could classify as any legally or commonly known /mainstream religion. The only way to identify these identityless untouchables was by the work they engaged in. So their OCCUPATIONS (Hyponym of the word caste), had to be listed in a specially made schedule for the purposes of representation. That's why they are called the 'Scheduled Castes' and NOT because they had a jati or Varna.

TODAY, what really were occupations of the identity-less untouchables are WRONGLY seen as jatis. No, their occupation is not caste/casta either but the CATEGORY 'occupation' is a caste.

That is why for most SCs in rural areas their occupation is ALMOST ALWAYS same as their assumed/given "caste" or jati. A dhobi/chamar/bhangi/nai etc by occupation is almost always seen as a Dhobi/Chamar/Bhangi/Nai by caste too. In Varnadharmis (all of whom who do have jatis), that is not the case. It's the other way round. Their occupation is supposed to be based on their jati but they often follow a trade that is most convenient/suitable/lucrative to them and still be referred to as whatever they were "supposed" to be. So in many cases unlike the jatiless untouchables, their trade does not match their said jati or Varna. 

Learning about the Hindu faith is incomplete without learning about Varna and Jati. Mention of the the foreign word 'caste' is not required when learning about what is commonly called the "Hindu religion".

However, a great percentage of people wrongly, albeit unknowingly, translate the word 'Jati' as 'caste'. This is a BIG mistake as there is no equivalent word for Jati in any foreign language. Even more confusion is caused when the word 'Varna' is translated as caste by another group of people. For Varna too, there is no equivalent word in any other language.

The Jati and Varna system is unique to those whose roots are from the Indian subcontinent.

Whenever Varnadharmis, the Varnaists or Jatists say, "Caste is a Colonial construct," they simply cause diversion away from discussing Varna and Jati. In that case, it's best to simply say something like,  "Ok, let's not use that foreign word in our discussion. Let's just talk about Varna and/or Jati then."

That stops them right in their tracks, preventing diversion.

(AUTHOR: Shekhar Bodhakar)

ALSO READ:

1. What is the Indian caste system and how does it work? 

2. What is the exact meaning of hindi word, "Dalit"?

3. WHY did Dr. Ambedkar say, "Gandhi is the greatest enemy of the untouchables"?

4. Why the scheduled castes and tribes are not Hindu?

5. Can the caste system be eradicated from India? If so, how?

6. What are scheduled castes?