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desi

/ ˈdeɪsiː /

adjective

  1. indigenous or local

    a desi buda

  2. authentic

    desi music

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012


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Word History and Origins

Origin of desi1

C21: Hindi, from Sanskrit deśa a country
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Example Sentences

Desi, who we know is deeply in love with his girlfriend, Clementine, passionately kisses her.

One day at a party, Lucille Ball confronted him, wailing: “How dare you pimp for Desi!”

At the height of I Love Lucy, Bowers says, he set up Desi Arnaz with two to three women a week.

Mian took pride on her Orkut profile in being “desi,” or South Asian.

It was Desi who once showed you that handwriting for a moment, when your mother sent her love in Fanny's letter.

His chief adviser was the Desi or Prime Minister, supposed to be his natural son.

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About This Word

What does Desi mean?

Desi is sometimes used as an identifying term for a person who is of South Asian descent or who traces their heritage to the Indian subcontinent.

Its exact meaning and implications vary from person to person. Some use it as a positive self-identifier, while others view it as too limiting or even disparaging.

For many, Desi is used to indicate a South Asian heritage. When used in this sense, Desi typically means that a person can trace their descent to one or more South Asian countries, including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Nepal, and Bhutan.

Some people use Desi to indicate that they view their identity as being rooted in the pan-ethnic culture and history of South Asia, without reference to a specific nationality. Some use Desi as a way to identify as being part of the South Asian diaspora—those of South Asian descent who now live in other places. Desi is used in the term Asian Pacific Islander Desi American (abbreviated as APIDA), which is often used with the intent to be more explicitly inclusive of South Asians than other similar terms, such as Asian American Pacific Islander (abbreviated as AAPI).

However, not everyone who has South Asian heritage identifies as Desi.

The term is sometimes viewed as being Indian-centric. Sometimes, Desi is thought to be even more narrow, referring only to or primarily being used by people of northern Indian descent. In this way, the word is sometimes thought to exclude those from southern or central India or those from other parts of South Asia.

Within South Asia, particularly within India among speakers of Hindi, Desi can be used to mean “local” or “native.” This use is sometimes extended to refer to a person as being rural and unsophisticated (somewhat similar to terms like hick and country bumpkin).

In general, Desi can be used as either an adjective or a noun. For example, a group of people may be referred to as Desis or a person may be referred to as a member of the Desi community. Sometimes, it’s left lowercase.

Example: I prefer to identify as Desi American, which I think describes my identity better than “Asian American.”

Where does Desi come from?

The first records of the use of the word Desi in English come from the 1800s. It comes from the Hindi desī, meaning “rural,” “indigenous,” or “from the country.” This Hindi word ultimately comes from the Sanskrit deśa, meaning “a country.”

The Hindi origin of Desi may contribute to its association in some contexts with northern India, where Hindi is one of the predominant languages and where the word is more likely to be used than in southern parts of the country.

Did you know ... ?

What are some words that often get used in discussing Desi?

How is Desi used in real life?

Some people use the word Desi to self-identify as being of South Asian descent, while others view it as negative or too narrow or avoid using it for other reasons.

 

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