Where does “fa'afafine” come from?

fa'afafine (Samoan) comes 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 (Samoan): fa'afafine a biologically male person who behaves as a female socially

Definitions

  1. fa'afafine a biologically male person who behaves as a female socially

Ancestry of “fa'afafine”, step by step

fa'afafine traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Samoan fafine

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Samoanfafinewoman; female
2Proto-Polynesianfafinewoman
3Proto-Oceanicpapinewoman
4Proto-Malayo-Polynesianbabinahi—
5Proto-Malayo-Polynesianbahiwoman
6Proto-Austronesianbahifemale, woman

via Samoan fa'a

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Samoanfa'ain the manner of; in fashion
2Proto-Polynesianfakalike

Words derived from “fa'afafine”

Every word from Proto-Austronesian bahi →Every word from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian bahi →Every word from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian babinahi →