Chandala means: A person involved in the disposal of corpses, traditionally a lower-caste Hindu and considered untouchable.. It is mainly Indian English and may not be understood outside that context. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.
chandala
(India) A person involved in the disposal of corpses, traditionally a lower-caste Hindu and considered untouchable.
Definitions
(India) A person involved in the disposal of corpses, traditionally a lower-caste Hindu and considered untouchable.
Chandala means: A person involved in the disposal of corpses, traditionally a lower-caste Hindu and considered untouchable.. It is mainly Indian English and may not be understood outside that context. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.
chandala means: A person involved in the disposal of corpses, traditionally a lower-caste Hindu and considered untouchable.. Register: informal, Indian English. Often not understood outside its region; gloss the word on first use when writing for an international audience. A common learner mistake is using the word in a register it does not fit, or assuming a single global meaning; native speakers immediately notice when slang appears in formal contexts, so always check the surrounding register before producing it yourself.
Comments
For specific readers
Why is this section here?
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
Have a better definition?
Add your own interpretation of "chandala".
🗺️About Regional & Other slang
Regional slang from around the English-speaking world — British, Australian, Irish, Caribbean, Nigerian, Filipino, AAVE, and the hyphenated-English dialects that make the internet sound local.
See all Regional & Other slang on Slangora.
Tags
Other words near "chandala" (C)
Browse all slang words starting with C.
Related terms
People also read
Semantically related
- Bhangi63%
(India) A member of the Bhangi caste, traditionally restricted to cleaning latrines and handling dead bodies.
- chuhra63%
(India, Pakistan, offensive) Any lower-caste person.
- chaukidar61%
(India) A watchman; a guard.
- chautha61%
(India) A day of mourning and prayers for the dead, the fourth day after the funeral.
- chamcha60%
(India, colloquial) A sycophant and hanger-on or lackey.