English neutral pronouns: Difference between revisions
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In English, people are usually called by a [[pronouns|pronoun]] that implies their gender. For example, [[English neutral pronouns#She|she]] for women, and [[English neutral pronouns#He|he]] for men. The use of [[singular they]] as a gender-neutral pronoun has been documented as standard usage in English throughout the past thousand years. However, prescriptive grammarians in the late eighteenth century decided that it was bad grammar because it works like a plural and because it isn't done in Latin.<ref name-"Churchyard">{{cite web|first=Henry|last= Churchyard|title=Jane Austen and other famous authors violate what everyone learned in their English class|url=http://www.crossmyt.com/hc/linghebr/austheir.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120319092926/http://www.crossmyt.com/hc/linghebr/austheir.html |archive-date=19 March 2012}}</ref> | In English, people are usually called by a [[pronouns|pronoun]] that implies their gender. For example, [[English neutral pronouns#She|she]] for women, and [[English neutral pronouns#He|he]] for men. The use of [[singular they]] as a gender-neutral pronoun has been documented as standard usage in English throughout the past thousand years. However, prescriptive grammarians in the late eighteenth century decided that it was bad grammar because it works like a plural and because it isn't done in Latin.<ref name-"Churchyard">{{cite web|first=Henry|last= Churchyard|title=Jane Austen and other famous authors violate what everyone learned in their English class|url=http://www.crossmyt.com/hc/linghebr/austheir.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120319092926/http://www.crossmyt.com/hc/linghebr/austheir.html |archive-date=19 March 2012}}</ref> | ||
Prescriptive grammarians of the late eighteenth century instead recommended using "he" as a gender-neutral pronoun when one is needed, instead of "singular they."<ref name="bustillos 250">{{Cite web |title=Our Desperate, 250-Year-Long Search for a Gender-Neutral Pronoun |last=Bustillos |first=Maria |work=The Awl |date=6 January 2011 |access-date=17 October 2020 |url= https://www.theawl.com/2011/01/our-desperate-250-year-long-search-for-a-gender-neutral-pronoun/}}</ref> However, "gender-neutral he" results in writings that are unclear about whether they mean only men or not, which makes problems in law.<ref name="Pullum">{{cite web|first=Geoffrey|last=Pullum|title=Canada Supreme Court Gets the Grammar Right.|work=Language Log|date=18 August 2004 |url=http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/001362.html}}</ref> | Prescriptive grammarians of the late eighteenth century instead recommended using "he" as a gender-neutral pronoun when one is needed, instead of "singular they."<ref name="bustillos 250">{{Cite web |title=Our Desperate, 250-Year-Long Search for a Gender-Neutral Pronoun |last=Bustillos |first=Maria |work=The Awl |date=6 January 2011 |access-date=17 October 2020 |url= https://www.theawl.com/2011/01/our-desperate-250-year-long-search-for-a-gender-neutral-pronoun/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230603104253/https://www.theawl.com/2011/01/our-desperate-250-year-long-search-for-a-gender-neutral-pronoun/ |archive-date=17 July 2023 }}</ref> However, "gender-neutral he" results in writings that are unclear about whether they mean only men or not, which makes problems in law.<ref name="Pullum">{{cite web|first=Geoffrey|last=Pullum|title=Canada Supreme Court Gets the Grammar Right.|work=Language Log|date=18 August 2004 |url=http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/001362.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230601201219/http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/001362.html|archive-date=17 July 2023}}</ref> | ||
===Regional nominative pronouns=== | ===Regional nominative pronouns=== | ||
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====A==== | ====A==== | ||
'''A''' (nominative form only). "In 1789, William H. Marshall records […] Middle English epicene ‘a’, used by the 14th century English writer John of Trevisa and both the OED and Wright's English Dialect Dictionary confirm the use of ‘a’ for he, she, it, they, and even I. This ‘a’ is a reduced form of the Anglo-Saxon he = ‘he’ and heo = ‘she’.”<ref>Baron, Dennis (1986). Grammar and Gender. New Haven: Yale University Press. ISBN 0-300-03526-8. as cited by Williams, John (1990s).</ref> <ref>{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100418022839/http://www.aetherlumina.com/gnp/history.html| url=http://www.aetherlumina.com/gnp/history.html|last=Williams|first=John|archive-date=18 April 2010|title=History - Native-English GNPs|work=Gender-Neutral Pronoun FAQ}}</ref> Some living British dialects still use the gender-neutral "a" pronoun.<ref>{{cite web|title=Epicene pronouns|work=American Heritage Book of English Usage|url=http://www.bartleby.com/64/C005/004.html|archive-date=30 June 2008|archive-url= | '''A''' (nominative form only). "In 1789, William H. Marshall records […] Middle English epicene ‘a’, used by the 14th century English writer John of Trevisa and both the OED and Wright's English Dialect Dictionary confirm the use of ‘a’ for he, she, it, they, and even I. This ‘a’ is a reduced form of the Anglo-Saxon he = ‘he’ and heo = ‘she’.”<ref>Baron, Dennis (1986). Grammar and Gender. New Haven: Yale University Press. ISBN 0-300-03526-8. as cited by Williams, John (1990s).</ref> <ref>{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100418022839/http://www.aetherlumina.com/gnp/history.html| url=http://www.aetherlumina.com/gnp/history.html|last=Williams|first=John|archive-date=18 April 2010|title=History - Native-English GNPs|work=Gender-Neutral Pronoun FAQ}}</ref> Some living British dialects still use the gender-neutral "a" pronoun.<ref>{{cite web|title=Epicene pronouns|work=American Heritage Book of English Usage|url=http://www.bartleby.com/64/C005/004.html|archive-date=30 June 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080630041424/http://www.bartleby.com/64/C005/004.html|access-date=29 July 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> | ||
====Ou==== | ====Ou==== | ||
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====Yo==== | ====Yo==== | ||
'''Yo''' (nominative form only). In addition to an interjection and greeting, "yo" is a gender-neutral pronoun in a dialect of African-American Vernacular English spoken by middle school students in Baltimore, Maryland, the student body of which is 97% African-American. These students had spontaneously created the pronoun as early as 2004 and commonly used it. A study by Stotko and Troyer in 2007 examined this pronoun. The speakers used "yo" only for same-age peers, not adults or authorities. They thought of it as a slang word that was informal, but they also thought | '''Yo''' (nominative form only). In addition to an interjection and greeting, "yo" is a gender-neutral pronoun in a dialect of African-American Vernacular English spoken by middle school students in Baltimore, Maryland, the student body of which is 97% African-American. These students had spontaneously created the pronoun as early as 2004 and commonly used it. A study by Stotko and Troyer in 2007 examined this pronoun. The speakers used "yo" only for same-age peers, not adults or authorities. They thought of it as a slang word that was informal, but they also thought of it as just as acceptable as "he" or "she". "Yo" was used for people whose gender was unknown, as well as for specific people whose gender was known, often while using a pointing gesture at the person in question. The researchers collected examples of the word in use, such as "yo threw a thumbtack at me," "you acting like I said what yo said," and "she ain't really go with yo." The researchers only collected examples of "yo" used in the nominative form. That is, they found no possessive forms such as "yo's," and no reflexive forms such as "yoself." As such, "yo" pronouns might be used only in nominative form, similar to another native English gender-neutral pronoun, "[[English neutral pronouns#A|a]]." Either that, or these forms exist, and the researchers just didn't collect them.<ref>Rebecca Hersher, "'Yo' said what?" April 24, 2013. ''NPR: Code Switch''. [http://www.npr.org/blogs/codeswitch/2013/04/25/178788893/yo-said-what] [https://web.archive.org/web/20221206111736/http://www.npr.org/blogs/codeswitch/2013/04/25/178788893/yo-said-what Archived] on 17 July 2023</ref><ref>Elizabeth J. Elrod, "Give us a gender neutral pronoun, yo!: The need for and creation of a gender neutral, singular, third person, personal pronoun." ''Undergraduate Honors Theses'' paper 200. 2014. http://dc.etsu.edu/honors/200 or http://dc.etsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1203&context=honors (PDF)</ref> | ||
===Neopronouns=== | ===Neopronouns=== | ||
'''Neopronoun''' is a category for any English pronouns that are independent from traditional third person English pronouns. In the strictest sense, a neopronoun is a pronoun which | '''Neopronoun''' is a category for any English pronouns that are independent from traditional third person English pronouns. In the strictest sense, a neopronoun is a singular third-person pronoun which is not [[English_neutral_pronouns#He|he/him]], [[English_neutral_pronouns#She|she/her]], [[English_neutral_pronouns#It|it/its]], or [[English_neutral_pronouns#They|they/them]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.xojane.com/issues/we-need-more-pronouns|title=UNPOPULAR OPINION: We Should Have More Pronouns |date=28 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180903114254/https://www.xojane.com/issues/we-need-more-pronouns |archive-date=3 September 2018 |last=Graham |first=Lore}}</ref> There is some disagreement in the nonbinary community on whether "it/its" should be considered a neopronoun when used for a person<ref>https://lgbta.fandom.com/wiki/Neopronouns#It [https://web.archive.org/web/20220730102742/https://lgbta.fandom.com/wiki/Neopronouns Archived] on 17 July 2023</ref>, as the traditional usage is for animals, objects, and concepts. | ||
Seeking a solution to the problem of a lack of a gender-neutral pronoun in English that satisfies all needs, people since the mid-nineteenth century have proposed many new gender-neutral singular pronouns.<ref name="aetherlumina archive history"> | Seeking a solution to the problem of a lack of a gender-neutral pronoun in English that satisfies all needs, people since the mid-nineteenth century have proposed many new gender-neutral singular pronouns.<ref name="aetherlumina archive history">{{cite web |title=History |work=Gender-Neutral Pronoun FAQ |url=http://www.aetherlumina.com/gnp/history.html |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20050207103316/http://www.aetherlumina.com/gnp/history.html |archive-date=7 February 2005}}</ref> For example, [[English neutral pronouns#Sie|sie]], [[English neutral pronouns#E|Spivak pronouns]], and others. None of these new words (neologisms) have become standard use or adopted into books of English grammar. However, some sets of these neologistic pronouns have seen a use for real people with [[nonbinary]] gender identities, and for characters in fiction. These neologisms are the main topic explored in the list that follows in this article. | ||
==The list== | ==The list== | ||
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===Alternating pronouns=== | ===Alternating pronouns=== | ||
'''he, her, his, herself''' (for one of many possible examples). Instead of using an alternative or neutral pronoun set, some people prefer an alternation between different sets. This is also called "rolling pronouns" by some.<ref name="Jakubowski">{{Cite web |title=Too Queer for Your Binary: Everything You Need to Know and More About Non-Binary Identities |last=Jakubowski |first=Kaylee |work=Everyday Feminism |date=4 March 2014 |access-date=7 June 2020 |url= https://everydayfeminism.com/2014/03/too-queer-for-your-binary/ |quote=rolling pronouns (which involves changing the persons pronoun each time that one comes up in a sentence – for example, “She went to the store, and on the way there he ran into an old friend who asked hir how they were doing”) }}</ref> Justice Ginsburg was in favor of alternating "he" and "she" pronouns to make legal documents gender-inclusive.<ref name="bustillos 250"></ref> | '''he, her, his, herself''' (for one of many possible examples). Instead of using an alternative or neutral pronoun set, some people prefer an alternation between different sets. This is also called "rolling pronouns" by some.<ref name="Jakubowski">{{Cite web |title=Too Queer for Your Binary: Everything You Need to Know and More About Non-Binary Identities |last=Jakubowski |first=Kaylee |work=Everyday Feminism |date=4 March 2014 |access-date=7 June 2020 |url= https://everydayfeminism.com/2014/03/too-queer-for-your-binary/ |quote=rolling pronouns (which involves changing the persons pronoun each time that one comes up in a sentence – for example, “She went to the store, and on the way there he ran into an old friend who asked hir how they were doing”) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230523084225/https://everydayfeminism.com/2014/03/too-queer-for-your-binary/ |archive-date=17 July 2023 }}</ref> Justice Ginsburg was in favor of alternating "he" and "she" pronouns to make legal documents gender-inclusive.<ref name="bustillos 250"></ref> | ||
'''Use in fiction:''' In K. A. Cook's short story "Blue Paint, Chocolate and Other Similes," in ''Crooked Words,'' most of the story involves the narrator Ben moving from one set of pronouns to another for Chris as he tries to figure out Chris's gender. When the narrator is trying to determine whether Chris is male or female, Ben alternates between thinking of Chris as he or she. Upon recognizing that Chris identifies as nonbinary, the narrator begins using [[English neutral pronouns#Ze|ze]] pronouns for Chris. Then, Ben finally finds a good moment to ask for Chris's pronoun preference.<ref>K. A. Cook, "Blue Paint, Chocolate and Other Similes." ''Crooked Words.'' Unpaged.</ref> | '''Use in fiction:''' In K. A. Cook's short story "Blue Paint, Chocolate and Other Similes," in ''Crooked Words,'' most of the story involves the narrator Ben moving from one set of pronouns to another for Chris as he tries to figure out Chris's gender. When the narrator is trying to determine whether Chris is male or female, Ben alternates between thinking of Chris as he or she. Upon recognizing that Chris identifies as nonbinary, the narrator begins using [[English neutral pronouns#Ze|ze]] pronouns for Chris. Then, Ben finally finds a good moment to ask for Chris's pronoun preference.<ref>K. A. Cook, "Blue Paint, Chocolate and Other Similes." ''Crooked Words.'' Unpaged.</ref> | ||
'''Use by people:''' In the 2018 Gender Census, 13.8% of respondents chose "mix it up" both alone and in addition to other pronoun choices.<ref name="Census2018">[https://gendercensus.com/post/183832246805/gender-census-2019-the-full-report-worldwide Gender Census 2019 - The Full Report (Worldwide)], April 2019.</ref> Nonbinary artist and activist [[Sasha Alexander]] uses alternating "she/they/he" pronouns,<ref>{{cite tweet|user=BlackTransMedia|number=1163607100053950464|title=What a #blacktranseverything thread thank you sis[...] I don't post photos of myself here yall inspire(d) me so here I go.. I'm sasha founder/one of the co-directors of black trans media, I use she/they/he pronouns + insist that you mix it up or use my name #blacktransloveiswealth|date=19 August 2019}}</ref><ref name="Wicker">{{Cite web |title=TRANS POET SASHA - SHE, HE, THEY |last=Wicker |first=Randolfe |work=YouTube |date=9 March 2015 |access-date=27 April 2020 |url= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Eh6ZNtw1sM}}</ref> as does author [[Pat Schmatz]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/gender-stories/id1353717550?i=1000414998640|date=30 June 2019|access-date=25 May 2020|title=Gender Stories: Writing non-binary}}</ref> | '''Use by people:''' In the 2018 Gender Census, 13.8% of respondents chose "mix it up" both alone and in addition to other pronoun choices.<ref name="Census2018">[https://gendercensus.com/post/183832246805/gender-census-2019-the-full-report-worldwide Gender Census 2019 - The Full Report (Worldwide)], April 2019. [https://web.archive.org/web/20230505214027/https://www.gendercensus.com/post/183832246805/gender-census-2019-the-full-report-worldwide Archived] on 17 July 2023</ref> Nonbinary artist and activist [[Sasha Alexander]] uses alternating "she/they/he" pronouns,<ref>{{cite tweet|user=BlackTransMedia|number=1163607100053950464|title=What a #blacktranseverything thread thank you sis[...] I don't post photos of myself here yall inspire(d) me so here I go.. I'm sasha founder/one of the co-directors of black trans media, I use she/they/he pronouns + insist that you mix it up or use my name #blacktransloveiswealth|date=19 August 2019}}</ref><ref name="Wicker">{{Cite web |title=TRANS POET SASHA - SHE, HE, THEY |last=Wicker |first=Randolfe |work=YouTube |date=9 March 2015 |access-date=27 April 2020 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Eh6ZNtw1sM |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201121100124/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Eh6ZNtw1sM&gl=US&hl=en |archive-date=21 November 2020 |url-status=bot: unknown }}</ref> as does author [[Pat Schmatz]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/gender-stories/id1353717550?i=1000414998640|date=30 June 2019|access-date=25 May 2020|title=Gender Stories: Writing non-binary|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230719114721/https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/gender-stories/id1353717550?i=1000414998640|archive-date=19 July 2023|url-status=bot: unknown}}</ref> | ||
'''Forms:''' | '''Forms:''' | ||
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'''Use in real life and non-fiction:''' | '''Use in real life and non-fiction:''' | ||
* When a programmer added this pronoun set to Lam | |||