CultureSeptember 1, 2026
outcastes
OWT-kasts
Definition
People who are excluded from a social group or community, specifically those outside the traditional Hindu caste hierarchy.
Etymology
Derived from the prefix 'out-' (meaning outside) and 'caste' (from the Portuguese 'casta,' meaning lineage or race). It describes someone cast out from the established social order.
In the news
The term is used to describe the social groups excluded from temple access in the novel, highlighting the anti-caste themes the author explores.
Absent voices: Women in U.R. Ananthamurthy's 'Samskara' — a Lohian reading
Read the full article ↗Counterview