Harijan definition

hărĭ-jən
harijans
See word origin
Frequency:
A Dalit.
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In India, an untouchable or, later, a member of the Scheduled Castes.
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Origin of harijan

  • Sanskrit harijanaḥ person of Hari, child of God (coined as a euphemism for Untouchable by Mohandas K. Gandhi in 1931) Hariḥ Hari, a name for Vishnu Hare Krishna janaḥ person, child genə- in Indo-European roots

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition