Māhū
/ˈmɑː.huː/noun
A Hawaiian term for a person who traditionally embodies both masculine and feminine roles or qualities.
Did you know?Māhū were traditionally respected in Hawaiian society and could serve as teachers, caretakers, healers, and keepers of cultural knowledge, although colonial writers often distorted the term.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Polynesian (reconstructed)
Proto-Polynesian
*mafu
“A proposed ancestral form associated with softness or an intermediate gendered status; the exact etymology remains debated.”
Pre-contact period
Hawaiian
māhū
“A person understood to embody both masculine and feminine qualities or social roles.”
18th–19th Century
Hawaiian
māhū
“A recognized gender and social category in Hawaiian culture, including roles connected with teaching, caregiving, and tradition.”
19th Century
English
mahu / mahu
“An English rendering of the Hawaiian term, often recorded by outsiders with inaccurate or derogatory interpretations.”
Modern English
English
māhū
“A Hawaiian cultural identity or gender category associated with embodiment of both masculine and feminine roles.”
Explore more surprising origins