Pariah

noun/pəˈɹaɪə/politics
Definition
An outcast.
Etymology
From Tamil பறையர் (paṟaiyar), from பறையன் (paṟaiyaṉ, “drummer”), from பறை (paṟai, “drum”) or from Malayalam പറയർ (paṟayaṟ), from പറയൻ (paṟayaṉ, “drummer”), from പറ (paṟa, “drum”). Parai in Tamil or Para in Malayalam refers to a type of large drum designed to announce the king’s notices to the public. The people who made a living using the parai were called paraiyar; in the caste-based society, they were in the lower strata, hence the derisive paraiah and pariah.
Synonyms
outcast, castaway
In a sentence
  • After the whistleblowing, he became a pariah in the industry.
Tags
Source
Vocabulary.md
added 2023-10-11