Wednesday, June 3, 2015

Wednesday Word: Pariah

pa·ri·ah
pəˈrīə
noun
noun: pariah; plural noun: pariahs
  1. an outcast; a person who is hated and rejected by other people
    "they were treated as social pariahs"
     
  2. historical
    a member of a low caste in southern India.
1610s, from Portuguese paria or directly from Tamil paraiyar, plural of paraiyan "drummer" (at festivals, the hereditary duty of members of the largest of the lower castes of southern India), from parai "large festival drum."  Applied by Hindus and Europeans to any members of low Hindu castes and even to outcastes. Extended meaning "social outcast" is first attested 1819. Online Etymology Dictionary
 
I write an article once a month for the local newspaper. Topics vary, but it's always an opinion piece. Since I live in a very small town in the deep south, my opinions are very often at odds with my neighbors. Because of this, I find that I am often a pariah.

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