กะเทย

Thai

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Khmer ខ្ទើយ (khtəəy, hermaphrodite; to be hermaphrodite), from Proto-Mon-Khmer *ɡɗəəj. Cognate with Lao ກະເທີຍ (ka thœ̄i).

Pronunciation

Orthographicกะเทย
k a e d y
Phonemic
กะ-เทย
k a – e d y
RomanizationPaiboongà-təəi
Royal Instituteka-thoei
(standard) IPA(key)/ka˨˩.tʰɤːj˧/(R)

Noun

กะเทย • (gà-təəi)

  1. (sometimes derogatory or offensive) kathoey, ladyboy
  2. (obsolete, derogatory) male homosexual
  3. (biology) hermaphrodite
  4. (botany) fruit with undeveloped seeds

Usage notes

  • The equivalent term ladyboy is typically used as a self-descriptor when speaking in English.

Derived terms

  • กะเทยควาย

Descendants

  • English: kathoey
  • French: katoï
  • German: Kathoey
  • Korean: 카토이 (katoi)
  • Russian: като́й (katój)
  • Tagalog: kathoey
  • Vietnamese: kathoey, katoey

See also