Dalit

[ dah-lit ]

noun

, Sometimes Offensive.

, plural Da·lits, (especially collectively) Da·lit.

1. a member of the Scheduled Castes in India, sometimes also considered to include a member of the Scheduled Tribes.
2. a member of any of India’s oppressed peoples.

Dalit

/ ˈdɑːlɪt /

noun

1. offensive.
   a member of the lowest class in India, whom those of the four main castes were formerly forbidden to touch Formerly calleduntouchable

Usage Note

The term Dalit, which has replaced untouchable, can have negative connotations: its literal meaning is “oppressed; broken.” The Indian courts and government instead use the terms Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe. But Dalit is used in the media and has been adopted by politically active group members as a positive term of self-reference. It generally represents a sense of solidarity and identity and holds political significance for members of this community.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Dalit¹

First recorded in 1945–50; from Hindi dalit, from Neo-Sanskrit dalita, specific use of Sanskrit dalita “broken,” from root dal- “to break, burst, split”

Word History and Origins

Origin of Dalit¹

from Hindi, from Sanskrit dalita , literally: oppressed

Example Sentences

Today, she stands as one of this year's 22 recipients of the prestigious MacArthur "genius" fellowship, a testament to a career dedicated to researching the complex lives of Dalit women - those born into the caste considered “untouchable” in South Asia's hierarchical society.

From BBC

As Paik delved more into the subject, she noticed not much work had been done on the education of Dalit women.

From BBC

“There are statistics but there was no qualitative research. No one had written the history of caste through the vantage point of Dalit women, so I decided that I wanted to do this work.”

From BBC

In 2014, she published her first book, Dalit Women's Education in Modern India, examining the “double discrimination” of gender and caste they face in accessing basic rights.

From BBC

"Dalit women are undoubtedly the most disadvantaged and oppressed. They are the Dalits among Dalits in terms of gender and politics," Paik said.

From BBC