bhangi

or bhun·gi

[ buhng-gee ]

noun

, Indian English.

, plural bhan·gis.

1. Often Disparaging and Offensive. a member of one of the lowest castes of untouchables in India, traditionally relegated to work that included sweeping, handling dead bodies, or cleaning toilets. the current entry.

Sensitive Note

The use of bhangi to reference the caste status of a person or group is often offensive in and of itself. However, the word is always offensive when used as an insult or as a proxy term for slovenliness, contamination, or poverty. When used loosely to describe an undesirable, poor, or dirty state, bhangi is considered a slur.

Word History and Origins

Origin of bhangi¹

From Hindi bhaṅgī, literally, “user of bhang ”