Pardesi
/pərˈdeɪ.siː/noun
A person from another country or region, especially a foreigner or migrant.
Did you know?The word’s second element, Sanskrit deśa “land, region,” is related to English words such as “index” and “indicate,” all linked to an ancient root meaning “to point out.”
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*deyḱ-
“To point out or show; the reconstructed root behind the Sanskrit family related to deśa.”
Ancient Sanskrit
Sanskrit
para-deśa
“Another land or foreign country; para means “other” and deśa means “land” or “region.””
Classical Sanskrit
Sanskrit
paradeśin
“A person belonging to another land; a foreigner or outsider.”
Middle Indo-Aryan
Prakrit
pardesa
“A foreign land or region, reflecting the sound changes that shortened para-deśa.”
Medieval period
Hindi-Urdu
pardesī
“A foreigner, outsider, or person away from their homeland.”
Modern English
English
pardesi
“A South Asian loanword used for a foreigner, migrant, or person from elsewhere, often with poetic or romantic overtones.”