Where does “fa'afafine” come from?

fa'afafine (English) comes from Samoan fa'afafine, from Samoan fafine, from Proto-Polynesian fafine, from Proto-Oceanic papine, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian babinahi, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian bahi, from Proto-Austronesian bahi — female, woman.

fa'afafine (English): A Samoan whose gender is neither male nor female,...

Definitions

  1. A Samoan whose gender is neither male nor female,...

Ancestry of “fa'afafine”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Samoanfa'afafinefa'afafine a biologically male person who behaves as a female socially
2Samoanfafinewoman; female
3Proto-Polynesianfafinewoman
4Proto-Oceanicpapinewoman
5Proto-Malayo-Polynesianbabinahi—
6Proto-Malayo-Polynesianbahiwoman
7Proto-Austronesianbahifemale, woman
Every word from Proto-Austronesian bahi →Every word from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian bahi →Every word from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian babinahi →
fa'afafine — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer