दलित

See also: दौलत

Hindi

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Sanskrit दलित (dalita, “broken, destroyed, split”), originally an adjectival form of दलन (dalana, “splitting, destruction”), from the root दल् (dal, “to split, crack”). Semantic loan from Marathi दलित (dalit).

Pronunciation

• (Standard Hindi) IPA^(key): /d̪ə.lɪt̪/, [d̪ɐ.lɪt̪]

Proper noun

दलित • (dalit) m (Urdu spelling دلت)

1. Dalit (a caste excluded from Vedic society)

Declension

Declension of दलित (sg-only masc cons-stem)

	singular
direct	दलित dalit
oblique	दलित dalit
vocative	दलित dalit

Noun

दलित • (dalit) m or f by sense (Urdu spelling دلت)

1. Dalit (member of the Dalit caste)

   Synonym: (now derogatory) हरिजन (harijan)

Declension

NOTE: This term is declined masculine or feminine according to the gender of the referent.

Declension of दलित (masc cons-stem)

	singular	plural
direct	दलित dalit	दलित dalit
oblique	दलित dalit	दलितों dalitõ
vocative	दलित dalit	दलितो dalito

Declension of दलित (fem cons-stem)

	singular	plural
direct	दलित dalit	दलितें dalitẽ
oblique	दलित dalit	दलितों dalitõ
vocative	दलित dalit	दलितो dalito

Adjective

दलित • (dalit) (indeclinable)

1. Dalit

Marathi

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Sanskrit दलित (dalita, “broken, destroyed, split”), originally an adjectival form of दलन (dalana, “splitting, destruction”), from the root दल् (dal, “to split, crack”). Sense 1 was coined by Indian social activist Jyotirao Phule 19th century.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /d̪ə.lit̪/, [d̪ə.liːt̪]

Adjective

दलित • (dalit) (indeclinable)

2. Dalit (untouchable)
3. broken

Further reading

• Berntsen, Maxine (1982–1983), “दलित”, in A Basic Marathi-English Dictionary, New Delhi: American Institute of Indian Studies
• दाते, यशवंत रामकृष्ण [Date, Yashwant Ramkrishna] (1932-1950), “दलित”, in महाराष्ट्र शब्दकोश (mahārāṣṭra śabdakoś) (in Marathi), पुणे [Pune]: महाराष्ट्र कोशमंडळ (mahārāṣṭra kośmaṇḍaḷ)
• Molesworth, James Thomas (1857), “दलित”, in A dictionary, Marathi and English, Bombay: Printed for government at the Bombay Education Society's Press
• Shridhar Ganesh Vaze (1911), “दलित”, in The Aryabhusan School Dictionary, Poona: Arya-Bhushan Press