ʻakavaʻine

Rarotongan

Etymology

From ʻaka- +‎ vaʻine (“woman”). Cognate to Maori whakawahine, Samoan fa'afafine, and Niuean fiafifine.

Noun

ʻakavaʻine

1. (Mangaia) a person assigned male at birth who adopts feminine gender roles

Verb

ʻakavaʻine

1. to behave like a woman

References

• “ʻakavaʻine” in Cook Islands Languages, 2016.