Desi: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 17:47, 25 June 2021

A map of the Indian subcontinent, depicting the countries of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh from which Desis originate^[1]

Desi (/ˈdeɪsi, ˈdɛsi/; Hindustani: [d̪eːsi]) is a word used to describe the people, cultures, and products of the Indian subcontinent and their diaspora, derived from Sanskrit देश (deśá), meaning "land, country".^[2] Desi traces its origin specifically to the people of the countries India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.^[3]^[1]

Etymology[edit]

The ethnonym belongs in the endonymic category (i.e., it is a self-appellation). Desi is borrowed from the Hindustani desī (देसी, دیسی) 'national', ultimately from Sanskrit deśīya, derived from deśa (देश) 'region, province, country'.^[4] The first known usage of the Sanskrit word is found in the Natya Shastra (~200 BCE), where it defines the regional varieties of folk performing arts, as opposed to the classical, pan-Indian margi. Thus, svadeśa (Sanskrit: स्वदेश) refers to one's own country or homeland, while paradeśa (Sanskrit: परदेश) refers to another's country or a foreign land.

History[edit]

The word "Desi" comes from the Sanskrit word "Desh" meaning "country". The word "Desi" is used to refer to something "from the country" and with time its usage shifted more towards referring to people, cultures, and products of a specific region; for example, desi food, desi calendars, and desi dress.^[5]

Desi contrasts with the Hindustani language word vilāyati (Anglicised as "Blighty"),^[6] which originally referred to Afghanistan and Central Asia, over time it came to refer to Britain (during the British rule vilāyat, an Arabic-origin word meaning 'state', signified Britain) but may also refer more generally to anything that is European or Western. People from the subcontinent living in vilāyat (Britain) or in other Western countries refer to themselves and their ethnic culture as desi. The desi/vilāyati pair of antonyms is widely used in subcontinent languages (Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi, Bengali etc.).^{[citation needed]}

After the passage of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, the United States dramatically increased immigration from the subcontinent. As increasing numbers of students from the subcontinent arrived in the U.S. and UK, their countries of origin were colloquially referred to as deś. For example, all things Indian including Indian expatriates were referred to as "desi".

Culture[edit]

South Asian university students celebrate Desi culture through dance at the Ohio State University.

"Surahi" written in Samrup Rachna calligraphy used to write Hindustani, which is widely spoken throughout the Indian subcontinent as a lingua franca.^[7]

In the U.S., as in other countries, some diaspora desis are creating a "fusion" culture, in which foods, fashions, music, and the like from many areas of South Asia are "fused" both with each other and with elements from Western culture.^[8] For example, urban desi is a genre of music formed by the fusion of traditional Indian and Western urban music.^[9] The growing demand of popular programming for South Asians caused MTV to launch the desi-targeted television channel MTV Desi.

There is overlap within the different desi cultures and certain aspects are seen in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. Clothes, food, and language are very similar but there are some factors unique to each country.

In the UK, desi communities have continued the fusion culture which first emerged during the rule of the British Raj, influencing music, art, fashion and food. There are now dedicated radio stations catering to British-South Asians such as the BBC Asian Network.

In Canada, desis have established sizable ethnic enclaves in areas such as Brampton, Ontario and Surrey, British Columbia.

Performing arts[edit]

The Natya Shastra refers to the regional varieties of folk dance and music elements as desi, and states that these are meant as pure entertainment for common people, while the pan-Indian margi elements are to spiritually enlighten the audience. The medieval developments of the classical Indian dance and music led to the introduction of desi gharanas, in addition to the classical gharanas codified in Natya Shastra. The desi gharanas further developed into the present-day adavus. There is raga in Indian classical music known as desi.

Food and drink[edit]

In regions of South Asia, desi in the context of food, implies "native" or "traditional". Common examples are "desi ghee", which is the traditional clarified butter used in South Asia as opposed to more processed fats such as vegetable oils. "Desi chicken" may mean a native breed of chicken. This word is also usually restricted to Sanskrit-derived (Indo-Aryan) languages.

Heritage varieties of vegetables and other produce can also be qualified as "desi". "Desi diet" refers to a diet and food choices followed by Indians around the world. Desi daru refers to "country liquor", such as fenny, toddy and arrack. It is differentiated from Indian-made foreign liquor such as Indian-made whisky, rum, or vodka.

References[edit]

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 Zimmer, Ben (27 September 2013). "Here She Comes, 'Desi' Miss America". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 12 October 2020. But as South Asians have built up diasporic communities around the world, 'desi' has traveled with them, used not as a put-down but as an expression of ethnic pride. Make that pan-ethnic: Anyone with heritage from the subcontinent—India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka or Bangladesh—can identify as a 'desi' and partake in 'desi' culture.
↑ Steinberg, Shirley R.; Kehler, Michael; Cornish, Lindsay (17 June 2010). Boy Culture: An Encyclopedia. ABC-CLIO. pp. 86–88. ISBN 978-0-313-35080-1. Retrieved 12 March 2012.
↑ "desi". OxfordDictionaries.com. Oxford University Press. 2016. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
↑ Sharma, Nitasha Tamar (17 August 2010). Hip Hop Desis: South Asian Americans, Blackness, and a Global Race Consciousness. Duke University Press. ISBN 978-0-8223-9289-7. The lives of South Asians in America, or desis—a term meaning "of the land" from the Hindi/Urdu word desh, or country—are both historically constituted and circumscribed by global processes and the limitations of what is possible today.
↑ Mughal, M. A. Z. (2014-10-20). "Calendars Tell History: Social Rhythm and Social Change in Rural Pakistan" (PDF). History and Anthropology. 25 (5): 592–613. doi:10.1080/02757206.2014.930034. ISSN 0275-7206. S2CID 55668409.
↑ Template:Oxford Dictionaries
↑ Kazim, Shehrbano (14 May 2016). "Drawn from the same wellspring". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 12 October 2020.
↑ Kvetko, Peter (2002). When the East Is in the House: The Emergence of Dance Club Culture among Indian-American Youth (Thesis). University of Texas. Archived from the original on 18 May 2006. Retrieved 27 October 2016. ^{[non-primary source needed]}
↑ Kurwa, Nishat (15 October 2008). "Urban Desi: A Genre on the Rise". All Things Considered. National Public Radio. Retrieved 27 October 2016 – via NPR.org.

[Zimmer2013-1] 1.0 ^1.1 Zimmer, Ben (27 September 2013). "Here She Comes, 'Desi' Miss America". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 12 October 2020. But as South Asians have built up diasporic communities around the world, 'desi' has traveled with them, used not as a put-down but as an expression of ethnic pride. Make that pan-ethnic: Anyone with heritage from the subcontinent—India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka or Bangladesh—can identify as a 'desi' and partake in 'desi' culture.

[Shirley2010-2] Steinberg, Shirley R.; Kehler, Michael; Cornish, Lindsay (17 June 2010). Boy Culture: An Encyclopedia. ABC-CLIO. pp. 86–88. ISBN 978-0-313-35080-1. Retrieved 12 March 2012.

[3] "desi". OxfordDictionaries.com. Oxford University Press. 2016. Retrieved 12 October 2016.

[Sharma2010-4] Sharma, Nitasha Tamar (17 August 2010). Hip Hop Desis: South Asian Americans, Blackness, and a Global Race Consciousness. Duke University Press. ISBN 978-0-8223-9289-7. The lives of South Asians in America, or desis—a term meaning "of the land" from the Hindi/Urdu word desh, or country—are both historically constituted and circumscribed by global processes and the limitations of what is possible today.

[5] Mughal, M. A. Z. (2014-10-20). "Calendars Tell History: Social Rhythm and Social Change in Rural Pakistan" (PDF). History and Anthropology. 25 (5): 592–613. doi:10.1080/02757206.2014.930034. ISSN 0275-7206. S2CID 55668409.

[6] Template:Oxford Dictionaries

[Kazim2016-7] Kazim, Shehrbano (14 May 2016). "Drawn from the same wellspring". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 12 October 2020.

[8] Kvetko, Peter (2002). When the East Is in the House: The Emergence of Dance Club Culture among Indian-American Youth (Thesis). University of Texas. Archived from the original on 18 May 2006. Retrieved 27 October 2016. ^{[non-primary source needed]}

[9] Kurwa, Nishat (15 October 2008). "Urban Desi: A Genre on the Rise". All Things Considered. National Public Radio. Retrieved 27 October 2016 – via NPR.org.

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@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{no sources|date=July 2020}}
+{{short description|People, cultures, and products of the Indian subcontinent and their diaspora}}
-'''Desi''' (pronounced DEH-see or DAY-see) is a supra-ethnic and pan-ethnic term that refers to people and things from the [[Indian subcontinent]]. The word "Desi" comes from the Sanskrit word देश (deśá), which means "land" or "country." People agree that the word refers to things and people from the countries of [[India]], [[Pakistan]], [[Bangladesh]], [[Nepal]], [[Maldives]], and [[Sri Lanka]].
+{{other uses}}
+[[File:Location of Indian Subcontinent.svg|thumb|300px|A map of the Indian subcontinent, depicting the countries of [[India]], [[Pakistan]] and [[Bangladesh]] from which Desis originate<ref name="Zimmer2013"/>]]
+'''Desi''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|d|eɪ|s|i|,_|ˈ|d|ɛ|s|i}}; {{IPA-hns|d̪eːsi|lang}}) is a word used to describe the people, cultures, and products of the [[Indian subcontinent]] and their [[diaspora]], derived from [[Sanskrit]] देश (''deśá''), meaning "land, country".<ref name="Shirley2010">{{cite book |first1=Shirley R. |last1=Steinberg |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=ZnSBRxsjn_4C&pg=PA87 |title=Boy Culture: An Encyclopedia |publisher=ABC-CLIO |date=17 June 2010 |access-date=12 March 2012 |first2=Michael |last2=Kehler |first3=Lindsay |last3=Cornish |pages=86–88 |isbn=978-0-313-35080-1}}</ref> Desi traces its origin specifically to the people of the countries [[India]], [[Pakistan]], and [[Bangladesh]].<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/desi |title=desi |work=OxfordDictionaries.com |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |date=2016 |access-date=12 October 2016}}</ref><ref name="Zimmer2013">{{cite web |last1=Zimmer |first1=Ben |title=Here She Comes, 'Desi' Miss America |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702304713704579095112813176666 |work=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |access-date=12 October 2020 |language=en |date=27 September 2013|quote=But as South Asians have built up diasporic communities around the world, 'desi' has traveled with them, used not as a put-down but as an expression of ethnic pride. Make that pan-ethnic: Anyone with heritage from the subcontinent—India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka or Bangladesh—can identify as a 'desi' and partake in 'desi' culture.}}</ref>
-== Origin ==
+==Etymology==
-The word "Desi" as it is known comes from the [[Hindustani]] word ''deśī'', which means a "national" of a country. That word comes from the Sanskrit word देश (deśá), which means "land" or "country." The first known use of the word was in 200 BCE.
+The [[ethnonym]] belongs in the [[endonym]]ic category (i.e., it is a self-appellation). ''[[wikt:Desi|Desi]]'' is borrowed from the [[Hindustani language|Hindustani]] ''desī'' ({{lang|hi|देसी}}, {{lang|ur|دیسی}}) 'national', ultimately from [[Sanskrit]] ''{{IAST|deśīya}}'', derived from ''{{IAST|deśa}}'' ({{lang|sa|देश}}) 'region, province, country'.<ref name="Sharma2010">{{cite book |last1=Sharma |first1=Nitasha Tamar |title=Hip Hop Desis: South Asian Americans, Blackness, and a Global Race Consciousness |date=17 August 2010 |publisher=[[Duke University Press]] |isbn=978-0-8223-9289-7 |language=en |quote=The lives of South Asians in America, or ''desis''—a term meaning "of the land" from the Hindi/Urdu word ''desh'', or country—are both historically constituted and circumscribed by global processes and the limitations of what is possible today.}}</ref> The first known usage of the Sanskrit word is found in the ''[[Natya Shastra]]'' (~200&nbsp;BCE), where it defines the regional varieties of folk [[performing arts]], as opposed to the classical, pan-Indian ''margi''. Thus, ''{{IAST|svadeśa}}'' ({{lang-sa|स्वदेश|links=no}}) refers to one's own country or homeland, while ''{{IAST|paradeśa}}'' ({{lang-sa|परदेश|links=no}}) refers to another's country or a foreign land.
-== History ==
+==History==
-During [[British Raj|colonial times]], the word Desi was used to show that something was not vilāyati ("Blighty," or British).
+The word "Desi" comes from the Sanskrit word "Desh" meaning "country". The word "Desi" is used to refer to something "from the country" and with time its usage shifted more towards referring to people, cultures, and products of a specific region; for example, desi food, desi calendars, and desi dress.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Mughal|first=M. A. Z.|date=2014-10-20|title=Calendars Tell History: Social Rhythm and Social Change in Rural Pakistan|journal=History and Anthropology|language=en|volume=25|issue=5|pages=592–613|doi=10.1080/02757206.2014.930034|s2cid=55668409|issn=0275-7206|url=http://dro.dur.ac.uk/13842/1/13842.pdf}}</ref>
-== Culture ==
+Desi contrasts with the [[Hindustani language]] word ''vilāyati'' (Anglicised as "[[Blighty]]"),<ref>{{Oxford Dictionaries|blighty}}</ref> which originally referred to Afghanistan and Central Asia, over time it came to refer to Britain (during the British rule ''vilāyat'', an Arabic-origin word meaning 'state', signified Britain) but may also refer more generally to anything that is European or Western. People from the subcontinent living in ''vilāyat'' (Britain) or in other Western countries refer to themselves and their ethnic culture as ''desi''. The ''desi/vilāyati'' pair of antonyms is widely used in subcontinent languages (Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi, Bengali etc.).{{citation needed|date=July 2017}}
-Desi is a word that is used to describe South Asia in general instead of to a specific culture or country.
-=== Arts ===
+After the passage of the [[Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965]], the United States dramatically increased immigration from the subcontinent. As increasing numbers of students from the subcontinent arrived in the U.S. and UK, their countries of origin were colloquially referred to as ''{{IAST|deś}}''. For example, all things Indian including Indian expatriates were referred to as "desi".
-Music and dances that are from the region are called "Desi."
-=== Food ===
+==Culture==
-In [[South Asia]], "Desi food" refers to the traditional foods of the region. Desi daru refers to traditional alcoholic drinks such as fenny, toddy, and arrack. A foreign liquor that is made in India, like Indian-made [[rum]] or [[vodka]], would not be considered Desi.
+[[File:Buckeye Mela IX - Spartan Bhangra.jpg|thumb|300px|South Asian university students celebrate Desi culture through dance at the [[Ohio State University]].]]
+[[File:Surahi in samrup rachna calligraphy.jpg|thumb|300px|"Surahi" written in [[Samrup Rachna]] calligraphy used to write [[Hindustani language|Hindustani]], which is widely spoken throughout the Indian subcontinent as a ''lingua franca''.<ref name="Kazim2016">{{cite web |last1=Kazim |first1=Shehrbano |title=Drawn from the same wellspring |url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/1103363/drawn-from-the-same-wellspring |publisher=[[The Express Tribune]] |access-date=12 October 2020 |language=en |date=14 May 2016}}</ref>]]
+In the U.S., as in other countries, some diaspora desis are creating a "fusion" culture, in which foods, fashions, music, and the like from many areas of [[South Asia]] are "fused" both with each other and with elements from Western culture.<ref>{{cite thesis |last=Kvetko |first=Peter |url=http://uts.cc.utexas.edu/~dkapchan/home/folkloreweb/interactive/indianfilm/indianclub.html |title=When the East Is in the House: The Emergence of Dance Club Culture among Indian-American Youth |date=2002 <!--Earliest known date of availability. Item itself is undated.--> |publisher=[[University of Texas]] |archive-date=18 May 2006 |access-date=27 October 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060518083228/http://uts.cc.utexas.edu/~dkapchan/home/folkloreweb/interactive/indianfilm/indianclub.html }} {{primary source inline|date=October 2016}}</ref>  For example, urban desi is a genre of music formed by the fusion of traditional Indian and Western [[urban music]].<ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=95739927 |title=Urban Desi: A Genre on the Rise |first=Nishat |last=Kurwa |date=15 October 2008 |work=[[All Things Considered]] |via=NPR.org |publisher=[[National Public Radio]] |access-date=27 October 2016}}</ref> The growing demand of popular programming for South Asians caused [[MTV]] to launch the desi-targeted television channel [[MTV Desi]].
+There is overlap within the different desi cultures and certain aspects are seen in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. Clothes, food, and language are very similar but there are some factors unique to each country.
+In the UK, desi communities have continued the fusion culture which first emerged during the rule of the British Raj, influencing music, art, fashion and food. There are now dedicated radio stations catering to British-South Asians such as the [[BBC Asian Network]].
+In Canada, desis have established sizable [[ethnic enclaves]] in areas such as [[Brampton]], Ontario and [[Surrey, British Columbia]].
+===Performing arts===
+The [[Natya Shastra]] refers to the regional varieties of folk dance and music elements as ''desi'', and states that these are meant as pure entertainment for common people, while the pan-Indian ''margi'' elements are to spiritually enlighten the audience. The medieval developments of the [[classical Indian dance]] and music led to the introduction of desi gharanas, in addition to the classical [[gharana]]s codified in [[Natya Shastra]]. The ''desi'' gharanas further developed into the present-day [[adavu]]s. There is [[raga]] in Indian classical music known as desi.
+===Food and drink===
+{{main|Desi daru|Desi cuisine}}
+In regions of South Asia, ''desi'' in the context of food, implies "native" or "traditional". Common examples are "desi ghee", which is the traditional clarified butter used in South Asia as opposed to more processed fats such as vegetable oils. "Desi chicken" may mean a native breed of chicken. This word is also usually restricted to Sanskrit-derived (Indo-Aryan) languages.
+[[Plant breeding|Heritage]] varieties of vegetables and other produce can also be qualified as "desi". "Desi diet" refers to a diet and food choices followed by Indians around the world. ''[[Desi daru]]'' refers to "country liquor", such as [[feni (liquor)|fenny]], [[palm wine|toddy]] and [[arrack (drink)|arrack]]. It is differentiated from [[Indian-made foreign liquor]] such as Indian-made [[whisky]], [[rum]], or [[vodka]].
+== See also ==
+*[[Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb]]
+*[[Little India]]
+*[[Little Pakistan]]
+*[[South Asian Heritage Month]]
+==References==
+{{Reflist}}
+[[Category:Culture of Indian diaspora]]
+[[Category:Culture of Pakistani diaspora]]
+[[Category:Desi culture]]
+[[Category:Emigrants]]
+[[Category:Ethnonyms]]
+[[Category:Hindi words and phrases]]
+[[Category:Indian culture]]
+[[Category:Indian slang]]
+[[Category:Pakistani culture]]
+[[Category:Pakistani slang]]
 [[Category:South Asia]]
-[[Category:Culture of India]]
+[[Category:Urdu-language words and phrases]]
+[[Category:Bengali culture]]
+[[Category:Bengali words and phrases]]