different between distinction vs caste

English

Etymology

From Middle English distinccioun, from Old French distinction (attested 12th century), from the Latin accusative distinctionem, action noun of distinguo (“I distinguish”). Used in English from the late 14th century.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /d??st??k??n/

Noun

distinction (countable and uncountable, plural distinctions)

1. That which distinguishes; a single occurrence of a determining factor or feature, the fact of being divided; separation, discrimination.
2. The act of distinguishing, discriminating; discrimination.
3. Specifically, a feature that causes someone or something to stand out as being better; a mark of honour, rank, eminence or excellence; being distinguished.
   • 2013, Daniel Taylor, Steven Gerrard goal against Poland ensures England will go to World Cup (in The Guardian, 15 October 2013)[2]

     Leighton Baines, playing with distinction again, sent over a left-wing cross with pace and accuracy. Welbeck, prominently involved all night, could not reach it but Rooney was directly behind him, flashing his header past Szczesny.

Antonyms

• (that which distinguishes): confusion

Derived terms

• contradistinction
• distinction without a difference

Related terms

• distinct
• distinguish
• distinguished
• distinguishable
• distinguishness

Translations

French

Etymology

From Old French distinction (attested in the 12th century), from borrowed from the Latin accusative distinctionem, the action noun of distinguere (“distinguish”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /dis.t??k.sj??/
• Rhymes: -??
• Homophone: distinctions

Noun

distinction f (plural distinctions)

1. distinction (difference, honour)

Related terms

• distinct
• distinguer

Further reading

• “distinction” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Portuguese or Spanish casta (“lineage, breed, race”), of uncertain origin. The OED derives it from Portuguese casto (“chaste”), from Latin castus.Coromines (1987) argues instead for a hypothetical Gothic form *???????????????????? (*kasts), cognate with English cast, from Proto-Germanic *kastuz.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) enPR: käst, IPA^(key): /k??st/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /kæst/
• Homophones: cast, karst (in non-rhotic accents)
• Rhymes: -??st

Noun

caste (plural castes)

1. Any of the hereditary social classes and subclasses of South Asian societies.

   Hyponyms: Brahmin, Kshatriya, Shudra, Vaishya, varna

2. A separate and fixed order or class of persons in society who chiefly associate with each other.
3. (zoology) A class of polymorphous eusocial insects of a particular size and function within a colony.

Derived terms

• casteless

Translations

Anagrams

• Cates, Stace, cates, scate, sceat, taces

Dutch

Verb

caste

1. (archaic) singular present subjunctive of casten

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Portuguese casta, probably of Gothic and Germanic origin, or alternatively from a derivative of Latin castus.

Noun

caste f (plural castes)

1. caste (hereditary class)
2. class (social position)

References

• “caste” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Galician

Alternative forms

• casta

Etymology

Probably from Gothic *???????????????????? (*kasts), from Proto-Germanic *kastuz, *kast?n? (“to throw, cast”), compare English cast.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?kaste?/

Noun

caste f (plural castes)

1. species, race or kind
   • 1853, Juan Manuel Pintos, A Gaita Gallega, Pontevedra: Impr. de D. José e D. Primitivo Vilas, page 29:

     Por aquí nacen os ricos polo outro probes labregos. Estas son as dúas castes que hai en todo o mundo inteiro.

     Here the rich people are born, there the poor peasants; these are the two races that there are in the whole world

2. quality
   • 1859, Ramón Barros Silvelo, Un dia de desfertuna, page 3:

     Dime logo que o probe do animal ou é de mala caste, ou ben non come

     He readily told me that the animal [that I was selling] either was of bad quality, or either it didn't eat

3. progeny; group of people that share a common ancestor
   • 1853, Juan Manuel Pintos, A Gaita Gallega, Pontevedra: Impr. de D. José e D. Primitivo Vilas, page 8:

     { soy llamado Pedro Luces ... } - To to to, vamos con tento que un home con ese nome pode ser caste do demo.

     {I am called Peter Lights...} —Wo wo wo! Let us be careful: a man with that name could de a Devil's child.

   Synonyms: estirpe, fruxe, liñaxe

Derived terms

• castizar (“to mate”)
• castizo (“stud pig”)
• de caste (“selected”)

References

• “caste” in Dicionario de Dicionarios da lingua galega, SLI - ILGA 2006-2013.
• “caste” in Tesouro informatizado da lingua galega. Santiago: ILG.
• “caste” in Álvarez, Rosario (coord.): Tesouro do léxico patrimonial galego e portugués, Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega.

Italian

Adjective

caste

1. feminine plural of casto

Noun

caste f

1. plural of casta

Anagrams

• cesta

Latin

Etymology 1

From castus +? -?.

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /?kas.te?/, [?käs?t?e?]
• (Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /?kas.te/, [?k?st??]

Adverb

cast? (comparative castius, superlative castissim?)

1. purely, spotlessly, virtuously
2. piously, religiously

Etymology 2

Inflected form of castus.

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /?kas.te/, [?käs?t??]
• (Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /?kas.te/, [?k?st??]

Adjective

caste

1. vocative masculine singular of castus

References

• caste in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• caste in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• caste in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré Latin-Français, Hachette