| 释义 |
‖ varna|ˈvɑːnə, ˈvʌrna|
[Skr. varṇa, colour, appearance.]
Any one of the four early castes or social classes of Hindu society (see caste 2 a); the system or basis of this division.
1838Penny Cycl. XII. 230/1 The division of Hindus into..castes..existed from the earliest times. In Sanskrit they are called varnas, that is ‘colours’. 1876Encycl. Brit. IV. 203/1 The idea of caste is expressed by the Sanskrit term varna, originally denoting ‘colour’, thereby implying differences of complexion between the several classes. 1931[see jat2]. 1959Times Lit. Suppl. 1 May 262/5 Viewing the varna system of ancient India through rose-tinted spectacles. 1974Encycl. Brit. Macropædia IX. 347/2 The traditional view that varṇa reflected the organization of Indian society has recently been questioned; it has been suggested that..the concept of jāti is more central to caste functioning than varṇa, which may be the theoretical rationalization. 1977M. & J. Stutley Dict. Hinduism 323 Varṇa. The word is generally used to denote colour, but its primary meaning, derived from the root vṛ is ‘screen, veil, covering, external appearance’, and hence colour is only one of the many aspects of the term. |