two-spirit
/tuˈspɪɹɪt/
Word Rarity
Uncommon
Frequency: 4.77 in modern English
14
Scrabble Score
9
Letters
2
Syllables
7
Unique Chars
Meaning
adj
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.
noun
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.
Canadian usage; American usage
Example Sentences
- "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."
- "The Lakota, by the way, called their Two-Spirits winkte and wapetokeca which means "people with special powers.""
- ""The elders will tell you the difference between a gay Indian and a Two-Spirit," he [Joey Criddle] said, underscoring the idea that simply being gay and Indian does not make someone a Two-Spirit."
- "The term/identity of two-spirit does not make sense unless it is contextualized within a Native American frame […] Today, most people associate the term with LGBT Natives; however, the work of the two-spirit organizations is more akin with the traditional understanding"
- "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."
- "[I]t should come as no surprise that many Native American gay, lesbian, transgender, and other two-spirit people consider the term "berdache" derogatory."
Etymology
Word Breakdown
- Root: *(s)peys-, niizh manidoowag
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /tuˈspɪɹɪt/
- British English: /tuːˈspɪɹɪt/