Complex sentence: It was earlier thought to have been used as a contemptible term for British officers and gentry by Indians, today it is used commonly to refer to any Westerner in casual conversations, akin to'gaijin' in Japanese.
Split into simpler sentences: It was earlier thought to have been used as a contemptible term for British officers and gentry by Indians. Today it is used commonly to refer to any Westerner in casual conversations, akin to'gaijin' in Japanese.