pariah

pa·ri·ah  (p-r)

n.

1. A social outcast: "Shortly Tom came upon the juvenile pariah of the village, Huckleberry Finn, son of the town drunkard" Mark Twain.

2. An Untouchable.

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[Tamil paaiyar, pl. of paaiyan, pariah caste, from paai, festival drum.]

Word History: The word pariah, which can be used for anyone who is a social outcast, independent of social position, recalls a much more rigid social system, which made only certain people pariahs. The caste system of India placed pariahs, also known as Untouchables, very low in society. The word pariah, which we have extended in meaning, came into English from Tamil paaiyar, the plural of paaiyan, the caste name, which literally means "(hereditary) drummer" and comes from the word paai, the name of a drum used at certain festivals. The word is first recorded in English in 1613. Its use in English and its extension in meaning probably owe much to the long period of British rule in India.

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pariah [par-rye-a]

Noun

a social outcast: the man they regard as a pariah [Tamil paraiyan drummer]

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

pariah - a person who is rejected (from society or home) castaway, outcast, Ishmael unfortunate, unfortunate person - a person who suffers misfortune heretic, misbeliever, religious outcast - a person who holds religious beliefs in conflict with the dogma of the Roman Catholic Church leper - a pariah who is avoided by others Harijan, untouchable - belongs to lowest social and ritual class in India

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pariah

noun outcast, exile, outlaw, undesirable, untouchable, leper, unperson

Translations

pariah

n pariah [pəˈraiə]

a person driven out of a group or community; an outcast Because of his political beliefs he became a pariah in the district.verworpeneمَنْبوذпарийvyděděnecparia; udskudder/die Ausgestoßeneπαρίαςpariaheidikآدم طرد شدهhylkiöpariaמְנוּדֶהअछूत, चाण्डालskitnicapáriaorang buanganúrhrakpariaのけ者천민; 추방당한 사람parijaspārijs; izstumtaispariaverstotelingpariapariaspáriapariaпарияvydedenecizobčenecodbačen čovekpariaคนนอกคอกtoplum dışına itilmiş kimse為社會所遺棄者，流浪者паріяاچھوتngười hạ đẳng为社会所遗弃者，流浪者