subcaste
- noun
- /ˈsʌbˌkæst/
:
subcasta
- The rules governing marriage often differ significantly between the various subcastes of the same larger caste.
Examples
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In some regions, each subcaste has unique festivals that highlight their specific traditions.
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Within the larger community, the subcaste members have distinct customs that set them apart from others.
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Many people are not aware of the particular subcaste a person belongs to because it is not important among people belonging to the Vaish category, as all are considered equal.
Academic text (1994) -
It is not always clear what delimits the endogamous unit; whether it is the subcaste, a larger caste category, or the varna category.
Academic text (1994) -
The VHP received a considerable boost when an Untouchable subcaste in Meenakshipuram in southern India converted en masse to Islam in 1981.
Academic text (1996) -
A common remark from painters of later middle age was, "I feel the need to be alone in the hills to take in the dear cool mountain air for creative inspiration and psychological health." However, this expressed need to be alone more often for psychological work does not preclude all social engagement; within the family and to some extent the subcaste, many individuals remain powerful and active, yet this stage may include a relative lack of social interaction with members of the wider Hindu community.
Academic text (1991)
Synonyms
28
5.4
A group inside a larger society with different values or interests
16
3.6
A smaller part of a larger group that has its own role or feature
5
4.2
A more specific category inside a larger group, like a kind of virus
3
6.4
A group within a larger population that share similar traits
1
3.9
A smaller group inside a larger group that shares certain features
1
7.1
A small group inside a larger clan that shares an ancestor and customs
A small group of people inside a larger tribe with its own leader
A smaller group inside a larger community whose members share similar interests and interact more closely
A small group inside a larger political or social group
A smaller group within a race that shares physical features or genes
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
Subcaste combines sub- meaning 'under' and caste meaning 'a social group or class'. The sub- part is the same as in submarine or subway, so a subcaste is a smaller group 'under' or inside a larger caste.