' (also spelled ') is the contraction of an old Lakota word, ', meaning 'wants to be like a woman'. Historically, the ' have in some cases been considered a social category of male-bodied individuals who adopt the clothing, work, and mannerisms that Lakota culture usually considers feminine.
Etymology
Sihasapa and Minneconjou Lakotan anthropologist Beatrice Medicine writes: <blockquote>In my childhood, we were aware of this social category, which was referred to as winkte. Linguistic analysis of this Lakota word is:
:win – "woman"
:kte – "to be like"
:kte – "to kill" (a deeper structural form)
:"The common vernacular usage was winkte "wants to be like a woman."
:We, as children, were instructed, "There are these individuals – in all cases males (wicasa). They are different. They are winkte. Don't make fun of them. They are also Lakota," said our parents and grandparents.