An Indian term for a sailor or ship-worker, particularly associated with the indentured labourers transported from India to the Caribbean and other British colonial territories in the 19th century.
An Indian term for a sailor or ship-worker, particularly associated with the indentured labourers transported from India to the Caribbean and other British colonial territories in the 19th century. In Caribbean Indian communities, jahaji bhai (ship brother) became a term for the bonds formed between people who crossed the sea together.
His great-grandfather came over as a jahaji, part of the first wave of indentured workers to arrive on the island.
"jahaji" means: An Indian term for a sailor or ship-worker, particularly associated with the indentured labourers transported from India to the Caribbean an.... This is a fairly neutral word with no inherent risk attached. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than something dangerous. If your child uses it, context will usually make the meaning clear. A brief, curious question about where they heard it is generally enough to know whether to follow up.
"jahaji" means: An Indian term for a sailor or ship-worker, particularly associated with the indentured labourers transported from India to the Caribbean an.... This is a fairly neutral word with no inherent risk attached. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than something dangerous. If your child uses it, context will usually make the meaning clear. A brief, curious question about where they heard it is generally enough to know whether to follow up.
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.
Add your own interpretation of "jahaji".
The vocabulary of software engineers, AI researchers, and anyone living in a terminal or on GitHub — from LLM to MCP, CORS to vibe coding, agentic to enshittification.
See all Tech, Dev & AI slang on Slangora.
Browse all slang words starting with J.
An Indian man, especially a migrant worker.
(India, historical) A native who loitered about the wharves of Calcutta seeking employment as a servant with newly arrived Europeans.
A historical Indian term for a water carrier — a person whose occupation was transporting and distributing water, typically using a goatskin bag (mashk) to deliver water to households, worksites, or military camps. An essential occupation in pre-piped-water South Asia. Immortalized in Rudyard Kipling's poem 'Gunga Din,' whose title character is a bahisti.
(Singapore, colloquial, slang, derogatory, ethnic slur) An Indian man, especially a migrant worker.
"jahaji" means: An Indian term for a sailor or ship-worker, particularly associated with the indentured labourers transported from India to the Caribbean an.... Register: neutral, standard English, usable in most everyday contexts. Note the regional or dialect label (Indian) — usage may sound odd outside that variety. A common non-native mistake is to use the word in the wrong register, or to assume one fixed meaning when it is actually polysemous; always check the surrounding register and the audience before producing it yourself. In formal writing, prefer a neutral synonym or a short descriptive phrase, and use this word only when you have heard or read it being used naturally in a comparable context.
No comments yet — say something.
(India) A sailor.
No comments yet — say something.