Since caste is a word from Latin, how is it Indian?

Answer 1

The word "caste" to describe the social stratification system in India is not from any Indian language. You are correct that it comes into English from Latin, via Portuguese. It is simply the word English-speakers use to name the phenomenon. In Indian languages, the two best translations of our word are "varna" and "jati", according to Stuart Corbridge, John Harriss, and Craig Jeffrey, authors of India Today: Economy, Politics and Society.