pariah (redirected from pariahs)

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 [pəˈraɪə ˈpærɪə]

n

1. (Sociology) a social outcast

2. (Sociology) (formerly) a member of a low caste in South India

[from Tamil paraiyan drummer, from parai drum; so called because members of the caste were the drummers at festivals]

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 I was treated like a pariah for the rest of the journey.

Translations

pariah [ˈpærɪə] N → paria mf

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pariah

n (lit) → Paria m; (fig also) → Ausgestoßene(r) mf

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pariah [pəˈraɪə] n (frm) → paria m inv

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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. verworpene مَنْبوذ парий vyděděnec paria; udskud der/die Ausgestoßene παρίας paria heidik آدم طرد شده hylkiö paria מְנוּדֶה अछूत, चाण्डाल skitnica pária orang buangan úrhrak paria のけ者 왕따, 추방자 parijas pārijs; izstumtais paria verstoteling paria parias pária paria пария vydedenec izobčenec odbačen čovek paria คนนอกคอก toplum dışına itilmiş kimse 為社會所遺棄者，流浪者 парія اچھوت người hạ đẳng 为社会所遗弃者，流浪者