subcastes

/ˈsʌbˌkæsts/
noun
  1. Smaller social groups within a larger caste system, often based on occupation, region, or lineage.
    • Anthropologists study how subcastes maintain their identity over generations.
    • In some traditional societies, subcastes determine whom you can marry.
    • The subcastes within the larger farming caste had distinct customs and rules.
Synonyms
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