fa'afafine

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English

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Etymology

Borrowed from Samoan fa'afafine, from fa'a (“in the manner of”) + fafine (“woman”).

Noun

fa'afafine (plural fa'afafine)

  1. A Samoan whose gender is neither male nor female, being biologically male but preferring (or being raised for) traditionally female duties and tasks.
    • 2004, Ulrike Schuerkens, Global Forces and Local Life-Worlds: Social Transformations, →ISBN, page 209:
      What I wish to emphasize here is that 'traditionally' fa'afafine have been and generally still are initially identified in terms of labour preferences.
    • 2005, James Thomas Sears, Youth, Education, and Sexualities: An International Encyclopedia, →ISBN:
      While Pakeha (New Zealanders of European descent) transyouth are invisible in the curriculum through their gender identity, fa'afafine youth are additionally invisible through their cultural identity. There are currently no support groups in Aotearoa/New Zealand for fa'afafine young people.
    • 2006, Susan Stryker, Stephen Whittle, The Transgender Studies Reader, →ISBN, page 660:
      To begin with, he describes the relationship between his Samoan and fa'afafine identities by saying: 'for me culture is always first and then sexuality', and 'any interaction I have with anybody, the two things I want them to find out about me is the fact that I'm Samoan first and foremost and .... that I'm fa'afafine.'

Samoan

Etymology

From fa'a (“in the manner of”) +‎ fafine (“woman”). Cognate with Hawaiian hoʻowahine, Maori whakawahine, Niuean fakafifine, Rarotongan ‘akava‘ine, and Tongan fakafefine.

Noun

fa'afafine

  1. fa'afafine (a biologically male person who behaves as a female socially)
    Coordinate term: fa'atama
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