Chettiar

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Chettiars also Chetty, Chetti, Setty, Chitty, Shetty and Shettigar is a title, commonly used by people of South Indian origin in India and abroad. It is usually derived from trading social groups. The Popular AVM Productions owners belong to this Chettiar community. Komatis also use the same title though they are Telugu language speakers and with intermarriages common its not rare to find the title Chetty among both Tamils and Telugus.

Contents

[edit] The community

The community has over the time flourished in agriculture and trade. The community is famous for its trade in spices and hotel industry with its chettinad chicken and fish curries which are extremely famous throughout south India.

[edit] Origin of the word

The linguistic origins of the word is derived from Dravidian linguistic origin[1]. One theory is the root word is ETTI a Dravidian word that means 'look up, jump up or forward jerk and around simultaneously calling out to sell'. The obvious intention is to sell merchandise, to advertise/market loudly, to have an audience to sell their ware.

In Kannada and Tulu it is Shetty, Shettar and Shettigar. As in "Saetru Eeyar" meaning people who "collect and donate". Chettiars have been socially participative and benevolent. The community is also known for its culinary delights with its famous and exotic chettinad chicken and fish, a famous delicacy in Tamil Nadu.

[edit] Primary usage of title

As noted many castes of different ethnic origins use the title today. The foremost one in Tamil Nadu is Nattukottai Chettiars or Nagarathars& Arivur nagarathar who are ethnically Tamil and originally hailed from Nattukottai region.

Other castes in Tamil Nadu using this are ethnic minority Telugu speaking Arya Vysyas' a subsect of Komati Settys from Andhra Pradesh , 24 Manai Telugu Chettiars, Vaniya Chettiar, Devanga Chettiar, Beri Chettiar, Ilavaniya Chettiar(Moopanar), etc.

[edit] Usage among various castes

Though the typical Chetty is conceived to be a trader, various social groups (non-merchant) sport this surname. In Tulu Nadu, Shettys are part of landed castes.

Most of the non-Tamil castes use it as an affix to their profession specific names. Telugus use it as in Komati Setty where Komati represents a name of the group and Setty represents a trade. Telugu, Kannada and Malayali weavers use it as in Devanga Chetty or Sali Chetty, where Devanga and Sali represent the name of the group.

[edit] Other castes using the title

  • 24 Manai Telugu Chettiar
  • Agaram Vellan Chettiar
  • Senai Thalaivar
  • Kongu Chettiar
  • Padma Saliar Chettiar
  • Kuruhini Chetty
  • Moundadan Chetty
  • Sozhia Chetty
  • Komati Setty is a not a part of other chettier as these setty's donot consume non-veg and orgin is from aryan so the caste is named as "Arya Vysya"
  • Telugupatty Chetty[2]
  • Elur Chetty
  • Saiva Chettiar / Thiruvarur Vaguppu (Vellan Chettiars) A small group of chettiar families living in Andanapettai Village Near Nagapattinam and Nagore, Vellipalayam, Thiruthuraipondi, Marudhur, Vedaranyam, Chidambaram, Thiruvarur, TIRUCHIRAPALLI, Chennai and Mannargudi.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

[edit] References

  1. ^ Chetty in Hobson-Jobson dictionary
  2. ^ Tamil Nadu List of Most Backward Classes (G.O. Ms. No. 100 BC and MBCW Dept dated 24-11-97)
    3. Asian Entrpeneurial Minorities, Christine Dobson, Curzon Press UK, 1996. A chapter in the book is devoted to the Chettiars who set up business in Burma.
Languages