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casta

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Casta¹

Where it comes from

From Spanish and Portuguese casta (“lineage; breed; race”), either from Gothic *𐌺𐌰𐍃𐍄𐍃 (*kasts) or a derivative of Latin castus (“pure”).

noun

  1. The institutionalized system of racial and social stratification in 17th-century Mexico.
  2. Variety, in reference to and in names of Portugal grapes or wine.

casta²

Where it comes from

Borrowed from Spanish casta.

noun

  1. historical, uncountable A hierarchical system of race classification created by Spanish elites in Hispanic America during the eighteenth century. Both of these political developments called attention to family lineage. In the Mexican colonial context, casta took on new meanings, referring to all the people of Mexico who were not of “pure” Spanish heritage.

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MLA

"casta." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/casta. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

casta. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/casta

Chicago

"casta." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/casta.

BibTeX
@misc{casta_2026,
  title = {casta},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/casta},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}