sistergirl

English

Etymology

From sister +‎ girl.

Pronunciation

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Noun

sistergirl (plural sistergirls)

1. (African-American Vernacular) Sister, girlfriend (as a familiar term of address between women).
   • 2003, Shonell Bacon, Draw Me with Your Love:

     "We are all so proud of you, sistergirl! Couldn't you tell at graduation?"

   • 2004, Janette McCarthy Louard, Portrait of Deception:

     Dianne, where would I be without my sistergirl support group?

2. (Australian Aboriginal) A member of a traditional gender role in Australian Aboriginal cultures, resembling trans women.
   • 2004, The Bulletin‎^[1], volumes 6428-6439, page 32:

     […] But older sistergirls do feel a real strong sense, a real responsibility, to look after the little sistergirls because they know they've got a hard time ahead.

   • 2012, Damien W. Riggs, “Talking About 'Diverse Genders and Sexualities' Means Talking About More Than White Middle-Class Queers”, in Y. Taylor, editor, Educational Diversity: The Subject of Difference and Different Subjects‎^[2], page 230:

     Importantly, while Brown does not paint an idealised image of the inclusion of sistergirls within Indigenous cultures, she nonetheless emphasises the negative effects of colonisation upon sistergirls, […]

   • 2017, Stephen Kerry, Trans Dilemmas: Living in Australia’s Remote Areas and in Aboriginal Communities‎^[3], unnumbered page:

     Senator McCarthy's plea to 'stay strong' resonates because all too often sistergirls and brotherboys suffer, not only from verbal harassment and ostracism, but also violence and sexual abuse.

Coordinate terms

• (Aboriginal gender role): brotherboy

Translations

informal term of address for a female

• Spanish: mijita (es) f, (Argentina) nenita f, (Chile) flaquita (es) f