Badaga

noun

Ba·​da·​ga

bəˈdägə

plural Badaga or Badagas

1

a

: a Dravidian agricultural people of southern India

b

: a member of such people

2

: the dialect of Kanarese that is the language of the Badaga people

Word History

Etymology

Kanarese baḍaga, literally, northman

First Known Use

1869, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

• More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
• Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
• Advanced search features
• Ad free!