pa⋅ri⋅ah
–noun
| 1. | an outcast. |
| 2. | any person or animal that is generally despised or avoided. |
| 3. | (initial capital letter ) a member of a low caste in southern India and Burma. |
Origin:
1605–15; < class="ital-inline">paṟaiyar, pl. of paṟaiyan lit., drummer (from a hereditary duty of the caste), deriv. of paṟai a festival drum
Sentence:
The film, Water, tells the story of how women from all social strata in India become pariahs upon being widowed because of the Laws of Manu written c. 1500 B.C.E.
*I chose this word because I have been feeling a bit like a pariah in my Ward. It is probably my own paranoia, but maybe I should try touching people and seeing if they quickly flee to the restroom to cleanse themselves from my iniquity like they do/did in India.
