Plural of ghetto; distinct urban areas or regions where a particular group of people is concentrated or segregated.
From Italian 'ghetto,' originally referring to the Venetian Jewish quarter (from 'geto,' meaning foundry). The term evolved to describe any segregated urban area, particularly where marginalized groups are forced to live.
The word 'ghetto' likely comes from a Venetian foundry site that became Venice's Jewish quarter in the 1500s—the area was built on an old copper foundry ('geto' in Venetian), which is why it has such an unexpected industrial origin story.
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