Meanings
plural kalars
- ethnicoffensiveslangslurBurmese-language slur for Muslims living in Myanmar of Bangladeshi and Rohingya origins, mocking them for their black-colored dark skin.
I was bullied during middle school, called a gorilla and kalar. The word degrades, discriminates, and segregates people with darker skin, a broad-brush stroke of hate against those of Indian and Middle Eastern origin, and a contemptuous term used increasingly for Muslims.
2020 April 22, Aung (pseudonym), “How the word 'kalar' is a depressing indictment of Myanmar society”, in Myanmar Mix
Origin
- Burmeseကုလား
- Englishkalar
From Burmese ကုလား (ku.la:).
More words from Burmese
Full word history & related roots →Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
kalar. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/kalar
“kalar.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/kalar. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “kalar,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/kalar.
Source: kalar on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.