Shett
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 is used by them in Goa, Damaon, Konkan division of Mahraashtra& Canara subregion of Carnataca. Etymology. The word "Shett" is derived from the Sanskrit word (Devanagari: ) or (, ‘superior’), Prakritised 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 , and the head of these guilds were called as or , which would mean 'His Excellency'. Usage. Various Romanised versions found during the colonial period include "Chatim, Xete, Xetim, Xatim, Chati, Sette" etc. Alternatively it is also spelled as "Shet, Sait," or "Shetty" nowadays. 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. Few Daivajna families who converted to Catholicism migrated to Mangalore due to attacks by the Marathas in Goa during the late 17th and early 18th century. These families still use the title "Śeṭ". The Saldanha-Shet family is one of the well-known Konkani Catholic families from Mangalore.