two-spirit
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two-spirit¹
- /tuːˈspɪɹɪt/ UK
- /ˈtuːˌspɪɹɪt/ UK
- /tuˈspɪɹɪt/ US
- /ˈtuˌspɪɹɪt/ US
Rhymes with -ɪɹɪt (one pronunciation)
Where it comes from
PIE word
*dwóh₁
From two + spirit.
adjective
- Involving two spirits; especially, pertaining to the doctrine of dualism espoused in the so-called Treatise on the Two Spirits in the Dead Sea Scrolls. Paul's grasp of the [Holy] Spirit as the sign of the erupting messianic age is at odds with the two-spirit thought of Qumran which never became incompatible with law observance.
two-spirit²
- /tuːˈspɪɹɪt/ UK
- /ˈtuːˌspɪɹɪt/ UK
- /tuˈspɪɹɪt/ US
- /ˈtuˌspɪɹɪt/ US
Rhymes with -ɪɹɪt (one pronunciation)
Where it comes from
The noun is derived from two + spirit, coined in 1990 at the Third Annual Inter-tribal Native American, First Nations, Gay and Lesbian American Conference held in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, based on Ojibwe niizh manidoowag (“two spirits”) (coined at the same conference), from niizh (“two”) + manidoo (“spirit”) + -wag (suffix denoting the third-person plural of an animate noun); the term was created to replace berdache in anthropological literature which was considered offensive.
The adjective is derived from the noun.
noun two-spirits · two spirit
-
A Native North American bisexual, homosexual, or gender-variant person; especially one belonging to a traditional tribal third-gender, fourth-gender, or transgender cultural category that has a ceremonial role.
The Lakota, by the way, called their Two-Spirits winkte and wapetokeca which means "people with special powers."
Similar: 2, 2S, berdache, hermaphrodite
adjective
-
Of, pertaining to, or being a two-spirit (noun sense).
A Hupa two-spirit male told me: / I was real feminine as a child, from as early as I can remember. […] Within the family, Indians believe you can be whatever you choose.
Similar: two-spirited
Translations
Every language
adj involving two spirits; especially, pertaining to the doctrine of dualism
| Русский | с двумя́ ду́шами s dvumjá dúšami |
|---|
noun Native North American gender-variant, bisexual, or homosexual person — see also berdache
| Español | dos espíritus |
|---|---|
| Português | dois-espíritos |
| Français | bispirituel, berdache, bardache |
| Deutsch | Two-Spirit |
| Русский | бердаш berdaš |
adj of, pertaining to, or being a two-spirit
| Français | bispirituel |
|---|
Talk about this word "two-spirit." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/two-spirit. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. two-spirit. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/two-spirit "two-spirit." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/two-spirit.Cite this
@misc{two_spirit_2026,
title = {two-spirit},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/two-spirit},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
