Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “casteism” come from?

casteism (English) comes from English caste, from Spanish casta, from Latin castus, from Latin careō, from Proto-Italic kazēō, from Proto-Indo-European ḱes-éh₁-ye-ti, from Proto-Indo-European ḱes- — to cut off, separate; to cut up, to slaughter; to...

casteism (English): discrimination based on a person's caste

Definitions

  1. discrimination based on a person's caste

Ancestry of “casteism”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishcasteAny of the hereditary social classes and...
2Spanishcastalineage; breed; caste
3Latincastusmorally pure, guiltless; pure, chaste, free from...
4Latincareō—
5Proto-Italickazēōto lack
6Proto-Indo-Europeanḱes-éh₁-ye-ti—
7Proto-Indo-Europeanḱes-to cut off, separate; to cut up, to slaughter; to...
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ḱes- →