Khalistan

English

Flag of Khalistan

Etymology

Borrowed from Punjabi ਖ਼ਾਲਿਸਤਾਨ (xālistān) / خالِصْتان (xāliṣtān). Literally, “Land of the Khalsa ”. Analyzable as Khalsa +‎ -i- +‎ -stan.

Proper noun

Khalistan

1. (historical) Synonym of Punjab; A region of Indian Subcontinent
2. (now) A proposed country in South Asia A sovereign state proposed by separatists to be established as a homeland for Sikhs.

Usage notes

• This is a politically-charged term that was originally used to imply that Punjab belonged to Sikhs and Sikhs belong to Punjab. Now it is mostly used by separatists who want to separate the region from the Republic of India. See Khalistan on Wikipedia for more.

Related terms

• Khalistani

 

French

Etymology

From Punjabi ਖ਼ਾਲਿਸਤਾਨ (xālistān) / خالِصْتان (xāliṣtān). Literally, “Land of the Khalsa ”

Proper noun

Khalistan m

1. Khalistan
   • Amritpal Singh est devenu célèbre ces derniers mois en prêchant un sikhisme radical dans les zones rurales du Punjab, jusqu’à exiger la création d’un État séparatiste sikh appelé Khalistan.

     Amritpal Singh has gained fame in recent months by preaching radical Sikhism in the rural areas of Punjab, even going so far as to demand the creation of a separate Sikh state called Khalistan.

     (AFP, L'Inde convoque un diplomate canadien après une manifestation sikhe, Le Journal de Québec, 27 mars 2023)

Usage notes

• This is a politically-charged term that was originally used to imply that Punjab belonged to Sikhs and Sikhs belong to Punjab. Now it is mostly used by separatists who want to separate the region from the Republic of India. See Khalistan on Wikipedia for more.