****Shett (also spelt as Shet) is a surname and title of the Daivajna subcaste of Konkani people, residing along the coast of the Konkan region in western India. It is also an honorific used by them in Goa, Damaon, Konkan division of Maharashtra, and Kanara subregion of Karnataka.

Etymology

The word Shett is derived from the Sanskrit word (Devanagari: ) or (, ‘superior’), Prakrit as , and then or in modern Indo-Aryan dialects. The guilds of the traders, merchants, bankers as well as moneylenders (mahjana), administrators of various institutions and their employees in ancient Goa, like other parts in India, were called as shreni, and the head of these guilds were called as Śreṣṭha or Śreṣṭhīn, which would mean 'His Excellency'.

Usage

Various Romanised versions found during the colonial period include Chatim, Xete, Xetim, Xatim, Chati, Sette etc. Before the Goa Inquisition, Daivajna men used the titles Sethi, etc. after their first names. e.g. Virupa Chattim, Gana Sethi, etc. The father's name was used as a middle name. The Daivajna diaspora started using village names after their first names to distinguish themselves from other communities. Daivajna people still in Goa continue to use it as an honorific title. Due to various socio-economic reasons, Daivajna people migrated from Goa to other places. Some started using Shet as their surname just to distinguish themselves from others (especially in South Canara, Udupi, Shimoga and in some parts of North Canara. t= Kranti|title=The Christian impact in South Kanara |publisher=Church History Association of India|year=1999|pages=279}}

Historical references