English
Etymology
From French bardache, from Italian bardascia, perhaps from Arabic ARchar|بردج (bardaj) �slave�. Compare bardash.
Pronunciation
IPA|/b�'dæ�/
Noun
en-noun|berdache
- anthropology Among North American Indians, a transvestite or transgendered person.
#*2005: Male berdache have been documented in nearly 150 North American societies, while female berdache (females who take on the lifeways of males) appear in half as many groups. � Michael J Horswell, Decolonizing the Sodomite (University of Texas 2006, p. 20)
Usage notes
The term has been rejected by many Native American communities as pejorative (because of its etymology) and is now often replaced by two-spirit.
ru:berdache
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