berdache

Meaning

Among Native Americans, a person who identifies with any of a variety of gender identities which are not exclusively those of their biological sex; a transgender person.

Synonyms

transvestite

Pronounced as (IPA)

/bəˈdaʃ/

Etymology

From French bardache, from Italian bardassa, perhaps from Arabic بَرْدَج (bardaj, “slave”). Doublet of bardash.