Fa'afafine
/ˌfaʔa.faˈfi.neɪ/noun
A Samoan cultural identity generally describing a person assigned male at birth who embodies feminine gender roles and may identify outside Western male-female categories.
Did you know?Fa'afafine is not simply a translation of “transgender woman”; it is a distinct Samoan identity shaped by family, community, gender expression, and cultural roles.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Polynesian
Proto-Polynesian
*fafine
“Woman; female”
Proto-Polynesian
Proto-Polynesian
*fa'a
“In the manner or style of; causative prefix”
19th Century
Samoan
fa'a-fafine
“In the manner of a woman; a Samoan cultural gender term”
20th Century
Samoan
fa'afafine
“A recognized Samoan gender identity involving feminine roles or expression”
Modern English
English
fa'afafine
“A Samoan cultural identity, increasingly discussed in anthropology, gender studies, and LGBTQ+ contexts”