હરિજન
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Gujarati
[edit]Etymology
[edit]હરિ (hari) + જન (jan), literally “Children of God”. Coined by Narsinh Mehta, a Gujarati Bhakti poet in the 15th century and popularized by Mahatma Gandhi as an alternative to the term Dalit.[1]
Pronunciation
[edit]Noun
[edit]હરિજન • (harijan) m
- (dated, derogatory) Harijan
- (literally) devotee of Vishnu
Usage notes
[edit]Now considered offensive to Dalits, as the term is considered patronising, ignorant, and seeking to assimilate them into Hindu nationalism.