Where does “two-spirited” come from?
two-spirited (English) comes from English two-spirit, from English spirit, from Middle English spirit, from Irish -óg, from Old Irish -óc, from Proto-Brythonic -ọg, from Proto-Celtic -ākos, from Proto-Indo-European -eh₂ḱos — Creates deadjectival and desubstantival...
Ancestry of “two-spirited”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | two-spirit | A Native American gender-variant, homosexual or... |
| 2 | English | spirit | The soul of a person or other creature. What... |
| 3 | Middle English | spirit | life, vital breath |
| 4 | Irish | -óg | used to form diminutives of nouns, or substantive... |
| 5 | Old Irish | -óc | Diminutive suffix |
| 6 | Proto-Brythonic | -ọg | Forms nouns/adjectives from other nouns and... |
| 7 | Proto-Celtic | -ākos | Forms adjectives from nouns and adjectives with... |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -eh₂ḱos | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | -kos | Creates deadjectival and desubstantival... |