Wordwyrt

caste

/ˈkæst/KAST
/ˈkæst/KAST

Meaningpure, unmixed

Common meaning: a hereditary social class

Journey through time

  1. Latincastus‘chaste’source
  2. Portuguesemeaning shiftschaste → a race, stockcasta‘a race, stock’source
  3. Englishmeaning shiftsa race, stock → a hereditary social classcaste‘a hereditary social class’ · today

Sources & notes

Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.

Pronunciation

  • UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
  • No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
  • US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
  • No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.

Origin: Built on Latin castus ‘pure, unmixed’.

Did you know: our wording, based on Skeat, Etymological Dictionary (1898), entry castus, p. 97 · dictionary scan; Skeat, Etymological Dictionary (1898), entry CASTE, p. 97 · dictionary scan

Roots

  • castus Latin “morally pure”

Related words

castigatechastechastiseincest

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