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Glite Dictionary
🧑‍💼 Indian merchant 🧖 Steam bathhouse
bania

bania

2 9.9
A person from a traditional Indian merchant caste who works in trade
  • noun
  • Indian
translation icon : bania
  • He comes from a family of bania, known for their successful businesses in textiles.

Examples

  • The local bania provided the village with essential goods and services for many years.

  • As a proud bania, she ensured that her children learned the importance of commerce.

  • The bania stereotype (and the resentment to their success, partly justified) personified, except that this time it is intra-Muslim, not between Hindus and Muslims.

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Surface Forms

bania singular
banias plural

Etymology

Bania comes from the Indian word baniya, which means 'merchant' or 'trader'. Think of a bania as a shop owner or business person who works with money and trade. So, a bania today is a member of a traditional merchant group known for commerce.