berdache
/bərˈdæʃ/
noun
- A historical term for a person assigned male at birth who took on a female gender role in some Native American cultures; now considered outdated and often offensive, replaced by 'two-spirit'.
- Modern discussions about gender diversity in Native cultures avoid the word berdache.
- In some tribes, a berdache held special ceremonial roles.
- The term 'berdache' is no longer used by respectful scholars; they prefer 'two-spirit'.