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English neutral pronouns (edit)

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Moved some of the least commonly used pronouns to the talk page.
imported>Sekhet
(Starting to add sources about notable people who go by these pronouns, with photos of them. Cleaning up a little.)
imported>Sekhet
(Moved some of the least commonly used pronouns to the talk page.)
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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’.” Source: Baron, Dennis (1986). Grammar and Gender. New Haven: Yale University Press. ISBN 0-300-03526-8. as cited by Williams, John (1990s)." <ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20100418022839/http://www.aetherlumina.com/gnp/history.html "History - Native-English GNPs". Gender-Neutral Pronoun FAQ.] Retrieved 2007-01-01.</ref> Some living British dialects still use the gender-neutral "a" pronoun.<ref>"Epicene pronouns." ''American Heritage Book of English Usage''. [http://web.archive.org/web/20080630041424/http://www.bartleby.com/64/C005/004.html http://web.archive.org/web/20080630041424/http://www.bartleby.com/64/C005/004.html]</ref>
'''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>[https://web.archive.org/web/20100418022839/http://www.aetherlumina.com/gnp/history.html "History - Native-English GNPs". Gender-Neutral Pronoun FAQ.] Retrieved 2007-01-01.</ref> Some living British dialects still use the gender-neutral "a" pronoun.<ref>"Epicene pronouns." ''American Heritage Book of English Usage''. [http://web.archive.org/web/20080630041424/http://www.bartleby.com/64/C005/004.html http://web.archive.org/web/20080630041424/http://www.bartleby.com/64/C005/004.html]</ref>


====Ou====
====Ou====
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==The list==
==The list==


This list is of third-person singular pronouns in English. Some are "new" pronouns, and others have been in use for over a hundred years.
This list is of third-person gender-neutral singular pronouns in English. Some are "new" pronouns, and others have been in use for over a hundred years.


Please feel free to add more, though note that if you don't provide citations for [[Talk:English neutral pronouns#Notability|notability]] or include all five forms your entry may be moved to the talk page or be removed entirely. List pronoun sets in alphabetical order by their nominative form, or by the name of the set.
Please feel free to add more, though note that if you don't provide citations for [[Talk:English neutral pronouns#Notability|notability]] or include all five forms your entry may be moved to the talk page or be removed entirely. List pronoun sets in alphabetical order by their nominative form, or by the name of the set.
===*e (splat pronouns)===
'''*e, h*, h*s, h*s, h*self''' (this was the exact set used in LambdaMOO).<ref>Klaus Beck, ''Computervermittelte Kommunikation im Internet.'' p. 157.</ref><ref>Laura Borràs Castanyer, ed. ''Textualidades electrónicas: Nuevos escenarios para la literatura.'' p. 158.</ref> Called "splat pronouns," because the asterisk symbol is also called a "splat," these all use an asterisk to represent ambiguity between "he" and "she."
'''Usage:'''
Some software and Internet resources in the 1990s used them informally as gender-neutral pronouns. The multi-user online environment LambdaMOO offered these "splat" pronouns in addition to "[[English neutral pronouns#E|Spivak]]" pronouns. In 2002, 10 out of 4061 people on LambdaMOO had chosen to use splat pronouns for themselves.<ref name="aetherluminarefs">https://web.archive.org/web/20070310125817/http://aetherlumina.com/gnp/references.html</ref> However, splat pronouns didn't make an appearance in the 2015 or 2016 Nonbinary Stats surveys.
'''Forms:'''
* '''Nominative:''' When I tell someone a joke ''*e'' laughs.
* '''Accusative:''' When I greet a friend I hug ''h*''.
* '''Pronominal possessive:''' When someone does not get a haircut, ''h*s'' hair grows long.
* '''Predicative possessive:''' If I need a phone, my friend lets me borrow ''h*s''.
* '''Reflexive:''' Each child feeds ''h*self''.
'''On Pronoun Island:''' [http://pronoun.is/*e/h*/h*s/h*s/h*self http://pronoun.is/*e/h*/h*s/h*s/h*self


===Alternating pronouns===
===Alternating pronouns===
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* '''Predicative possessive:''' If my mobile phone runs out of power, ''he'' lets me borrow ''hers''.
* '''Predicative possessive:''' If my mobile phone runs out of power, ''he'' lets me borrow ''hers''.
* '''Reflexive:''' Each child feeds ''herself''. '''or''' Each child feeds ''himself''.
* '''Reflexive:''' Each child feeds ''herself''. '''or''' Each child feeds ''himself''.
===Co===
'''co, co, co's (cos), co's, coself'''. Mary Orovan created these in 1970, derived from the Indo-European ''*ko'', as an inclusive alternative to "he or she."<ref name="d baron epicene">Dennis Baron, "The Epicene Pronouns: A chronology of the word that failed." [http://www.english.illinois.edu/-people-/faculty/debaron/essays/epicene.htm http://www.english.illinois.edu/-people-/faculty/debaron/essays/epicene.htm] {{dead link}}</ref><ref name="aetherlumina listing 1">https://web.archive.org/web/20070310125817/http://aetherlumina.com/gnp/references.html</ref> In the pages about inclusive pronouns in the book ''Words and Women'', authors Miller and Swift talk about this pronoun's origins, history, and contemporary usage:
<blockquote>"'Humanizing English,' an eight-page pamphlet first published in 1970, included [Mary] Orovan's proposed common gender pronoun ''co,'' which is now being used in everyday speech and writing by members of several alternative-life-style communities. Twin Oaks Community, a group of some sixty adults and children living in Louisa, Virginia, adopted Orovan's nonsexist grammatical form in 1972. The pronoun has since spread to other communities in Virginia and Missouri, is used in a book on radical therapy published in 1973 by Harper &amp; Row, and it routinely replaces 'he or she' or 'he/she' in the magazine ''Communities,''' which is addressed to cooperative-living groups across the country. Orovan derived ''co'' from the Indo-European root form ''ko,'' the common ancestor of both the masculine and feminine English pronouns. Co, with its suggestion of 'together,' is not used to replace either the masculine or feminine pronoun when applied to a specific individual, but only as an alternative to the unisex generic ''he.'' Twin Oaks' newsletter ''Leaves,'' for example, comments in an article on communal work undertaken by members, 'Vacations are indeed a burden for the remaining members, but everyone takes cos turn at carrying the burden.'"<ref>Casey Miller and Kate Swift, ''Words and Women.'' Pages 129-130.</ref></blockquote>
Today, "Co" is still used in some intentional communities, such as in the legal policies of Twin Oaks in Virginia, which provides information on the pronoun in its [http://www.twinoaks.org/community/visit/guide.html visitor guide] web page.
'''Use by people:'''
In the 2018 Gender Census, only one respondent entered ''co/co/cos/cos/coself'' as cos favourite pronoun.<ref name="Census2018"/>
'''Forms:'''
* '''Nominative:''' When I tell someone a joke ''co'' laughs.
* '''Accusative:''' When I greet a friend I hug ''co''.
* '''Pronominal possessive:''' When someone does not get a haircut, ''co's'' hair grows long. (Or ''cos'' hair grows.)
* '''Predicative possessive:''' If I need a phone, my friend lets me borrow ''co's''.
* '''Reflexive:''' Each child feeds ''coself''.
'''On Pronoun Island:''' [http://pronoun.is/co/co/co's/co's/coself http://pronoun.is/co/co/co's/co's/coself]


===E===
===E===
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'''On Pronoun Island:''' [http://pronoun.is/e http://pronoun.is/e]
'''On Pronoun Island:''' [http://pronoun.is/e http://pronoun.is/e]
====E (es)====
'''e, em, es (e's), (e's), (not recorded)'''. Created in 1890 by James Rogers of Crestview, Florida.<ref name="aetherlumina listing 2"></ref><ref name="d baron epicene" /> In about 1977, version where all forms starts with capital letters was independently "created by psychologist Donald G. MacKay of the University of California at Los Angeles."<ref name="d baron epicene" /> In 1989, independently created by Victor J. Stone, Professor of Law.<ref name="d baron epicene" />
'''Forms:'''
* '''Nominative:''' When I tell someone a joke ''e'' (or ''E'') laughs.
* '''Accusative:''' When I greet a friend I hug ''em''.
* '''Pronominal possessive:''' When someone does not get a haircut, ''es'' hair grows long.
* '''Predicative possessive:''' (not recorded)
* '''Reflexive:''' Each child feeds ''emself''.<ref>THE LAW: For the Record; E Has a Modest Proposal on Ungendered Personal Pronouns. (1989, August 25). New York Times. Retrieved from https://link-gale-com.lsproxy.austincc.edu/apps/doc/A175745500/OVIC?u=txshracd2487&sid=OVIC&xid=0ae5e2ed</ref>


===Ey (Elverson pronouns)===
===Ey (Elverson pronouns)===
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* '''Predicative possessive:''' If I need a phone, my friend lets me borrow ''his or hers''.
* '''Predicative possessive:''' If I need a phone, my friend lets me borrow ''his or hers''.
* '''Reflexive:''' Each child feeds ''himself or herself''.
* '''Reflexive:''' Each child feeds ''himself or herself''.
=== Hu ===
'''hu, hum, hus, hus, humself'''. Several times since the 1970s, pronoun neologisms have been created based on a "humanist" model using <u>hu</u>man as a base or root source for pronouns. These attempts have been about using nominally gender-inclusive or neutral source etymologies in order to create new pronouns with familiar and hence more easily understood spelling and pronunciation. This new humanist model takes these prior efforts and expands it to include options for pronouns, nouns, honorifics and more--and an (eventually) complete framework / model for neutral and inclusive English.
Pronunciation of ''hu'' is identical to the first part of ''hu''man (i.e., like the name Hugh), and hum follows the same model (as in, ''hum''an).
'''Forms:'''
*'''Nominative:''' When I tell someone a joke ''hu'' laughs.
*'''Accusative:''' When I greet a friend I hug ''hum''.
*'''Pronominal possessive:''' When someone does not get a haircut, ''hus'' hair grows long.
*'''Predicative possessive:''' If I need a phone, my friend lets me borrow ''hus''.
*'''Reflexive:''' Each child feeds ''humself''.
'''On Posilicious:''' [https://posilicious.com/2020/08/27/gender-neutral-english-new-humanist-model/ Gender Neutral and Inclusive Humanist English]
=== Hy ===
'''hy, hym, hys, hys, hymself'''. Although rarely used nowadays, these pronouns date back to Middle English, in which they were an alternate spelling of he/him/his/his/himself.
A 1991 Usenet user wrote:
{{quote|I rather like Norman Cousin's proposal for a new personal pronoun of indeterminate or insignificant gender (he made this back in the '60s): ne/ner/nim (as in Not He/She, Not her, and Not Him). Of course, we could always extend the "womyn" paradigm and spell he, his, and him with a "y": hy, hys, and hym.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://groups.google.com/g/rec.martial-arts/c/55Ckn-bd380/m/EIErfset5HMJ|last=Gombosi|first=Steve|date=11 November 1991|title=rec.martial-arts}}</ref>}}
In 1997, another Usenet user noted these pronouns were in use as masculine pronouns for some members of the furry community.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://groups.google.com/g/alt.fan.furry/c/OKacXiwTEk0/m/v-NDSEzAeIwJ|date=14 August 1997|last=Koehler|first=Tobias|quote=There is hy/hys/hym (he-fluff), shy/hyr/hyr (she-fluff), han/per/per, yt/yts/yt, sie/hir/hir .... use what you like :) Of course you can just use `it' if you like to be genderneutral.|title=alt.fan.furry}}</ref>
'''Forms:'''
*'''Nominative:''' When I tell someone a joke ''hy'' laughs.
*'''Accusative:''' When I greet a friend I hug ''hym''.
*'''Pronominal possessive:''' When someone does not get a haircut, ''hys'' hair grows long.
*'''Predicative possessive:''' If I need a phone, my friend lets me borrow ''hys''.
*'''Reflexive:''' Each child feeds ''hymself''.
'''On Pronoun Island:''' https://pronoun.is/hy/hym/hys/hys/hymself


===It===
===It===
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'''Use for real nonbinary people:'''
'''Use for real nonbinary people:'''
In the 2019 Gender Census, 4.4% of the participants were happy for people to use ''it'' pronouns when referring to them.<ref name="Census2018"/>
In the 2019 Gender Census, 4.4% of the participants were happy for people to use ''it'' pronouns when referring to them.<ref name="Census2018"/> Notable nonbinary people who accept being called by ''it'' pronouns include the Venezuelan singer [[Arca]] (b. 1989).<ref name="Fallon">{{Cite web |title=Arca Is the Artist of the Decade |last=Fallon |first=Patric |work=Vice |date=8 November 2019 |access-date=30 June 2020 |url= https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/evj9k4/arca-is-the-artist-of-the-decade}}</ref>


'''Forms:'''
'''Forms:'''
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====Ne (nem)====
====Ne (nem)====
'''ne, nem, nir, nirs, nemself'''. In ''[http://spectracomic.smackjeeves.com Spectra]'', a science fiction comic by Cori Walters, characters with nonbinary genders are called by these pronouns. Walters uses this pronoun for one of the three gender roles in a species that has only one sex, and all people voluntarily choose their gender roles. The comic started in 2013 and is still in progress.<ref>''Spectra.'' [http://spectracomic.smackjeeves.com http://spectracomic.smackjeeves.com/]</ref>
'''ne, nem, nir, nirs, nemself'''. In the 2019 Gender Census, 27 participants (0.2%) entered the set of pronouns ''ne/nem/nir/nirs/nemself''.<ref name="Census2018"/> <!-- In ''[http://spectracomic.smackjeeves.com Spectra]'', a science fiction comic by Cori Walters, characters with nonbinary genders are called by these pronouns. Walters uses this pronoun for one of the three gender roles in a species that has only one sex, and all people voluntarily choose their gender roles. The comic started in 2013 and is still in progress.<ref>''Spectra.'' [http://spectracomic.smackjeeves.com http://spectracomic.smackjeeves.com/]</ref> -->


'''Forms:'''
'''Forms:'''
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* '''Predicative possessive:''' If I need a phone, my friend lets me borrow ''nirs''.
* '''Predicative possessive:''' If I need a phone, my friend lets me borrow ''nirs''.
* '''Reflexive:''' Each child feeds ''nemself''.
* '''Reflexive:''' Each child feeds ''nemself''.
In the 2019 Gender Census, 27 participants (0.2%) entered the set of pronouns ''ne/nem/nir/nirs/nemself''.<ref name="Census2018"/>


====Ne (ner)====
====Ne (ner)====
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'''one, one, ones, one’s, oneself'''. This is a standard English set of pronouns used for a hypothetical person whose gender is not specified.
'''one, one, ones, one’s, oneself'''. This is a standard English set of pronouns used for a hypothetical person whose gender is not specified.
'''Usage:'''
* In the 2019 Gender Census, only 8 (0.1%) participants were happy for people to use the pronoun ''one'' when referring to them.<ref name="Census2018"/>


'''Forms:'''
'''Forms:'''
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* '''Predicative possessive:''' If I need a phone, my friend lets me borrow ''one's''.
* '''Predicative possessive:''' If I need a phone, my friend lets me borrow ''one's''.
* '''Reflexive:''' Each child feeds ''oneself''.
* '''Reflexive:''' Each child feeds ''oneself''.
'''Usage:'''
* In the 2019 Gender Census, only 8 (0.1%) participants were happy for people to use the pronoun ''one'' when referring to them.<ref name="Census2018"/>




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'''per (person), per, per, pers, perself'''. Called "person pronouns," these are meant to be used for a person of any gender. Compare Phelps's [[English neutral pronouns#Phe|phe]] pronouns, which are also based on the word "person." John Clark created "per" pronouns in a 1972 issue of the ''Newsletter of the American Anthropological Association''.<ref name="d baron epicene"></ref>
'''per (person), per, per, pers, perself'''. Called "person pronouns," these are meant to be used for a person of any gender. Compare Phelps's [[English neutral pronouns#Phe|phe]] pronouns, which are also based on the word "person." John Clark created "per" pronouns in a 1972 issue of the ''Newsletter of the American Anthropological Association''.<ref name="d baron epicene"></ref>


'''Use in real life and non-fiction:''' Person pronouns were one of the sets of pronouns built into MediaMOO for users to choose from.<ref>Laura Borràs Castanyer, ed. ''Textualidades electrónicas: Nuevos escenarios para la literatura.'' p. 158.</ref> Richard Ekins and Dave King used these pronouns in the book ''The Transgender Phenomenon'' (2006).<ref>Richard Ekins and Dave King. ''The Transgender Phenomenon.'' Sage Publications, 2006.</ref> Activist [[Christie Elan-Cane]] uses these pronouns for perself.
'''Use in fiction:''' In Marge Piercy's feminist novel, ''Woman on the Edge of Time,'' 1976, Piercy used "per" pronouns for all citizens of a utopian future in which gender was no longer seen as a big difference between people.<ref name="aetherluminarefs"></ref>


'''Use in fiction:''' In Marge Piercy's feminist novel, ''Woman on the Edge of Time,'' 1976, Piercy used "per" pronouns for all citizens of a utopian future in which gender was no longer seen as a big difference between people.<ref name="aetherluminarefs"></ref>
'''Use in real life and non-fiction:''' Person pronouns were one of the sets of pronouns built into MediaMOO for users to choose from.<ref>Laura Borràs Castanyer, ed. ''Textualidades electrónicas: Nuevos escenarios para la literatura.'' p. 158.</ref> Richard Ekins and Dave King used these pronouns in the book ''The Transgender Phenomenon'' (2006).<ref>Richard Ekins and Dave King. ''The Transgender Phenomenon.'' Sage Publications, 2006.</ref> Activist [[Christie Elan-Cane]] uses these pronouns for perself. In the 2019 Gender Census, only 6 (0.1%) participants were happy for people to use the pronoun ''per'' when referring to them.<ref name="Census2018"/>


'''Forms:'''
'''Forms:'''
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* '''Predicative possessive:''' If I need a phone, my friend lets me borrow ''pers''.
* '''Predicative possessive:''' If I need a phone, my friend lets me borrow ''pers''.
* '''Reflexive:''' Each child feeds ''perself''.
* '''Reflexive:''' Each child feeds ''perself''.
'''Usage:''' Despite its apparently extensive use in literature, in the 2019 Gender Census, only 6 (0.1%) participants were happy for people to use the pronoun ''per'' when referring to them.<ref name="Census2018"/>


'''On Pronoun Island:''' [http://pronoun.is/per http://pronoun.is/per]
'''On Pronoun Island:''' [http://pronoun.is/per http://pronoun.is/per]
===Phe===
'''phe, per, pers, pers, perself'''. The phe/per pronoun set was created as an alternative to per/per, since ''per'' is already a word in English (meaning ''according to'').<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.glasswings.com.au/Storytronics/Odysseus/notes/pronouns.htm|title=Gender Free Pronouns|last=Phelps|first=Katherine|date=May 1998|website=|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=}}</ref>
'''Forms:'''
* '''Nominative:''' When I tell someone a joke ''phe'' laughs.
* '''Accusative:''' When I greet a friend I hug ''per''.
* '''Pronominal possessive:''' When someone does not get a haircut, ''pers'' hair grows long.
* '''Predicative possessive:''' If I need a phone, my friend lets me borrow ''pers''.
* '''Reflexive:''' Each child feeds ''perself''.
'''Usage:''' In the 2019 Gender Census, no participants chose "phe/per" as an option.<ref name="Census2018"/>


===She===
===She===
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* Cartoonist [[Rebecca Sugar]] [http://www.reddit.com/user/RebeccaSugar explained] that in her animated science fiction series, ''Steven Universe,'' the alien people called Gems really have no sex or gender, even though they all look like women. For this reason, the Gems are only arbitrarily called by "she" pronouns. Sugar said, "Technically, there are no female Gems! There are only Gems! [...] Why not look like human females? That's just what Gems happen to look like! [...] There's a 50 50 chance to use some pronoun on Earth, so why not feminine ones-- it's as convenient as it is arbitrary!"<ref>Rebecca Sugar. ''Reddit.'' [http://www.reddit.com/user/RebeccaSugar http://www.reddit.com/user/RebeccaSugar]</ref> This is a gender-neutral use of "she" pronouns.
* Cartoonist [[Rebecca Sugar]] [http://www.reddit.com/user/RebeccaSugar explained] that in her animated science fiction series, ''Steven Universe,'' the alien people called Gems really have no sex or gender, even though they all look like women. For this reason, the Gems are only arbitrarily called by "she" pronouns. Sugar said, "Technically, there are no female Gems! There are only Gems! [...] Why not look like human females? That's just what Gems happen to look like! [...] There's a 50 50 chance to use some pronoun on Earth, so why not feminine ones-- it's as convenient as it is arbitrary!"<ref>Rebecca Sugar. ''Reddit.'' [http://www.reddit.com/user/RebeccaSugar http://www.reddit.com/user/RebeccaSugar]</ref> This is a gender-neutral use of "she" pronouns.


'''Use by real nonbinary people:''' There are non-binary gender people who ask people to use "she" pronouns for them, such as singer-songwriter [[Nonbinary celebrities#Elly Jackson|Elly Jackson]]{{citation needed}}, musician [[JD Samson]], author and public speaker [[Olave Basabose]], actor [[Cara Delevingne]], and rapper [[Angel Haze]].<ref name="tweet2018" />
'''Use by real nonbinary people:''' There are nonbinary people who ask people to use "she" pronouns for them, such as singer-songwriter [[Nonbinary celebrities#Elly Jackson|Elly Jackson]]{{citation needed}}, musician [[JD Samson]], American comedian, writer, and nurse [[Kelli Dunham]],<ref name="story">{{Cite web |title=THE STORY |author= |work=kellidunham.com |date= |access-date=24 July 2020 |url= http://www.kellidunham.com/the-story/}}</ref> British musician [[Du Blonde]],<ref>[https://www.instagram.com/p/B26o9pvHwMk/ Sept 27, 2019 instagram post]</ref> poet [[jayy dodd]],<ref name="Kelly">{{Cite web |title=Interview with jayy dodd, author of Mannish Tongues |last=Kelly |first=Devin |work=entropymag.org |date=January 23, 2017 |access-date=May 15, 2020 |url= https://entropymag.org/interview-with-jayy-dodd-author-of-mannish-tongues/}}</ref><ref name="Instagram">[https://www.instagram.com/jxzz_hndz/ Instagram bio], retrieved May 15 2020</ref> author and public speaker [[Olave Basabose]],<ref name="Basabose2019">[https://www.facebook.com/OlaveTalks/videos/489898301767964/ This is your annually scheduled PSA: My pronouns are she/her/hers.], July 22, 2019</ref> actor [[Cara Delevingne]], activist [[Chao Xiaomi]],<ref name="FangLuu">{{Cite web |title=Chao Xiaomi leads China's fight for transgender rights |last1=Fang |first1=Nanlin |last2=Luu |first2=Chieu |work=CNN |date= |access-date=30 May 2020 |url= https://www.cnn.com/style/article/china-transgender-activist/index.html}}</ref> and rapper [[Angel Haze]].<ref name="tweet2018" /> In the 2018 Gender Census, 29% of participants were happy for people to use ''she'' pronouns when referring to them.<ref name="Census2018"></ref>


'''Forms:'''
'''Forms:'''
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* '''Predicative possessive:''' If I need a phone, my friend lets me borrow ''hers''.
* '''Predicative possessive:''' If I need a phone, my friend lets me borrow ''hers''.
* '''Reflexive:''' Each child feeds ''herself''.
* '''Reflexive:''' Each child feeds ''herself''.
'''Usage:'''
* In the 2018 Gender Census, 29% of participants were happy for people to use ''she'' pronouns when referring to them.<ref name="Census2018"></ref>


'''On Pronoun Island:''' [http://pronoun.is/she http://pronoun.is/she]
'''On Pronoun Island:''' [http://pronoun.is/she http://pronoun.is/she]
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<blockquote>"I asked Beacon Press to use ''s/he'' [sic] in the author description of me on the cover of ''Transgender Warriors'' [another book by Feinberg]. That pronoun is a contribution from the women's liberation movement. Prior to that struggle, the pronoun 'he' was almost universally used to describe humankind-- 'mankind.' So ''s/he''' opened up the pronoun to include 'womankind.' I used ''s/he'' on my book jacket because it is recognizable as a gender-neutral pronoun to people. But I personally prefer the pronoun ''ze'' because, for me, it melds mankind and womankind into humankind."<ref>Leslie Feinberg, ''Trans Liberation: Beyond Pink or Blue.'' Page 71.</ref></blockquote>
<blockquote>"I asked Beacon Press to use ''s/he'' [sic] in the author description of me on the cover of ''Transgender Warriors'' [another book by Feinberg]. That pronoun is a contribution from the women's liberation movement. Prior to that struggle, the pronoun 'he' was almost universally used to describe humankind-- 'mankind.' So ''s/he''' opened up the pronoun to include 'womankind.' I used ''s/he'' on my book jacket because it is recognizable as a gender-neutral pronoun to people. But I personally prefer the pronoun ''ze'' because, for me, it melds mankind and womankind into humankind."<ref>Leslie Feinberg, ''Trans Liberation: Beyond Pink or Blue.'' Page 71.</ref></blockquote>


At different times, Feinberg has asked to go by "s/he," "ze," or "she" pronouns depending on hir needs and the message meant to send. As quoted in hir obituary, Feinberg had said, "I care which pronoun is used, but people have been disrespectful to me with the wrong pronoun and respectful with the right one. It matters whether someone is using the pronoun as a bigot, or if they are trying to demonstrate respect."<ref>Minnie Bruce Pratt, "Transgender Pioneer and Stone Butch Blues Author Leslie Feinberg Has Died." ''Advocate.'' November 17, 2014. [http://www.advocate.com/arts-entertainment/books/2014/11/17/transgender-pioneer-leslie-feinberg-stone-butch-blues-has-died http://www.advocate.com/arts-entertainment/books/2014/11/17/transgender-pioneer-leslie-feinberg-stone-butch-blues-has-died]</ref>. Another notable nonbinary person, singer-songwriter [[Notable nonbinary people#Genesis Breyer P-orridge|Genesis Breyer P-orridge]] asks to be referred to by a different version of the s/he pronouns: '''s/he, h/er, h/er, h/ers, h/erself'''.<ref>"Genesis Breyer P-orridge." [http://www.genesisbreyerporridge.com/genesisbreyerporridge.com/Genesis_BREYER_P-ORRIDGE_Home.html http://www.genesisbreyerporridge.com/genesisbreyerporridge.com/Genesis_BREYER_P-ORRIDGE_Home.html]</ref>  
At different times, Feinberg has asked to go by "s/he," "ze," or "she" pronouns depending on hir needs and the message meant to send. As quoted in hir obituary, Feinberg had said, "I care which pronoun is used, but people have been disrespectful to me with the wrong pronoun and respectful with the right one. It matters whether someone is using the pronoun as a bigot, or if they are trying to demonstrate respect."<ref>Minnie Bruce Pratt, "Transgender Pioneer and Stone Butch Blues Author Leslie Feinberg Has Died." ''Advocate.'' November 17, 2014. [http://www.advocate.com/arts-entertainment/books/2014/11/17/transgender-pioneer-leslie-feinberg-stone-butch-blues-has-died http://www.advocate.com/arts-entertainment/books/2014/11/17/transgender-pioneer-leslie-feinberg-stone-butch-blues-has-died]</ref>. Another notable nonbinary person, singer-songwriter [[Notable nonbinary people#Genesis Breyer P-orridge|Genesis Breyer P-orridge]] asks to be referred to by a different version of the s/he pronouns: '''s/he, h/er, h/er, h/ers, h/erself'''.<ref>"Genesis Breyer P-orridge." [http://www.genesisbreyerporridge.com/genesisbreyerporridge.com/Genesis_BREYER_P-ORRIDGE_Home.html http://www.genesisbreyerporridge.com/genesisbreyerporridge.com/Genesis_BREYER_P-ORRIDGE_Home.html]</ref> The Taiwanese intersex activist [[Hiker Chiu]] goes by another variation: s/he, her/him.<ref name="Entenmann">{{Cite web |title="We Are Not Monsters. We Are Full of Love." — Hiker Chiu, Taiwan |last=Entenmann|first=Leah |work=Medium |date=21 December 2015 |access-date=24 June 2020 |url= https://medium.com/alturi-world/we-are-not-monsters-we-are-full-of-love-hiker-chiu-taiwan-62ea9b456d4e}}</ref>


'''Forms:'''
'''Forms:'''
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* '''Predicative possessive:''' If I need a phone, my friend lets me borrow ''hirs''.
* '''Predicative possessive:''' If I need a phone, my friend lets me borrow ''hirs''.
* '''Reflexive:''' Each child feeds ''hirself''.
* '''Reflexive:''' Each child feeds ''hirself''.
===Sie===
'''sie, hir, hir, hirs, hirself'''. Pronounced like either "she" and "her," or "see" and "hear." Derived from German pronouns for "she" and "they." <ref name="aetherlumina feb 29 2012"></ref> Since the early 1990s, this set has been widely used on the Internet for gender-neutral language when speaking of no specific person, for nonbinary gender characters, and by nonbinary gender people themselves. Elizabeth Bear used these pronouns in a fantasy novel, ''Dust.''<ref>''All our worlds: Diverse fantastic fiction.'' [http://doublediamond.net/aow http://doublediamond.net/aow]</ref> Notable real people who go by sie/hir include the American autistic activist [[Mel Baggs]] (1980 - 2020)<ref name="TDOV">{{cite web|url=https://withasmoothroundstone.tumblr.com/post/115187595380/transgender-day-of-visibility-mel-age-34|title=Transgender day of visibility.|date=April 2015}}</ref>
'''Forms:'''
* '''Nominative:''' When I tell someone a joke ''sie'' laughs.
* '''Accusative:''' When I greet a friend I hug ''hir''.
* '''Pronominal possessive:''' When someone does not get a haircut, ''hir'' hair grows long.
* '''Predicative possessive:''' If I need a phone, my friend lets me borrow ''hirs''.
* '''Reflexive:''' Each child feeds ''hirself''.


===They===
===They===


See main article: [[singular they]].
{{main|singular they}}


===Thon===
===Thon===
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===Xe===
===Xe===


There are several similar sets of neologistic gender-neutral pronouns that use "[[English neutral pronouns#Xe|xe]]," "ze," "[[English neutral pronouns#Zhe|zhe]]," or "[[English neutral pronouns#Zie|zie]]" in nominative form. Regardless of spelling, their nominative form is pronounced "zee," and was based on the pronoun [[English neutral pronouns#Sie|sie]]. The earliest documented version was created in 1972.<ref name="d baron epicene"></ref> In alphabetical order, versions of this pronoun set include:
There are several similar sets of neologistic gender-neutral pronouns that use "[[English neutral pronouns#Xe|xe]]," "ze," "[[English neutral pronouns#Zhe|zhe]]," or "[[English neutral pronouns#Zie|zie]]" in nominative form. Regardless of spelling, their nominative form is pronounced "zee," and was based on the pronoun [[English neutral pronouns#Sie|sie]]. The earliest documented version was created in 1972.<ref name="d baron epicene"></ref> In alphabetical order, some of the more common versions of this pronoun set include:


====Xe, hir====
====Xe, hir====
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'''Use for real people:'''
'''Use for real people:'''
* [[Kate Bornstein]] used them in the books ''Nearly Roadkill'' (1996) (with Caitlin Sullivan June)<ref>Caitlin Sullivan June and Kate Bornstein. ''Nearly Roadkill: An Infobahn erotic adventure.'' New York: Serpent's Tail, 1996, p. 10.</ref>, and ''My Gender Workbook'' (1998) in reference to hirself, and to other specific transgender people, as well as hypothetical persons of unspecified gender.<ref>Kate Bornstein, ''My Gender Workbook.'' 1st ed. 1998, p. 106-107, 119, 130-131, 154, 248.</ref>
* [[Kate Bornstein]] used them in the books ''Nearly Roadkill'' (1996) (with Caitlin Sullivan June)<ref>Caitlin Sullivan June and Kate Bornstein. ''Nearly Roadkill: An Infobahn erotic adventure.'' New York: Serpent's Tail, 1996, p. 10.</ref>, and ''My Gender Workbook'' (1998) in reference to hirself, and to other specific transgender people, as well as hypothetical persons of unspecified gender.<ref>Kate Bornstein, ''My Gender Workbook.'' 1st ed. 1998, p. 106-107, 119, 130-131, 154, 248.</ref> Today, Bornstein goes by any pronouns.<ref>{{cite tweet|user=katebornstein|number=1149734426890424320|date=July 12, 2019|title=Over 71 years, I’ve at one time or another insisted on every pronoun in the book. Finally settled in to it doesn't matter to me what pronouns people use for me—it tells me more about them than it could ever say about me. So thanks for asking, it’s up to you.}}</ref><ref name="Raymond">{{Cite web |title=Interview: Kate Bornstein on Their Broadway Debut in Straight White Men |last=Raymond |first=Gerard |work=Slant Magazine |date=July 11, 2018 |access-date=May 16, 2020 |url= https://www.slantmagazine.com/interviews/pretty-damn-bowie-kate-bornstein-on-their-broadway-debut-in-straight-white-men/}}</ref>
* Kate Bornstein goes by these "ze, hir" pronouns. [[Leslie Feinberg]] asked to be called by "ze, hir" pronouns, along with "zie, hir" and "she."<ref>Minnie Bruce Pratt, "Transgender Pioneer and Stone Butch Blues Author Leslie Feinberg Has Died." ''Advocate.'' November 17, 2014. [http://www.advocate.com/arts-entertainment/books/2014/11/17/transgender-pioneer-leslie-feinberg-stone-butch-blues-has-died http://www.advocate.com/arts-entertainment/books/2014/11/17/transgender-pioneer-leslie-feinberg-stone-butch-blues-has-died]</ref> In a magazine interview from 2014, Gabriel Antonio and another anonymous person both asked to be called by these pronouns.<ref>Al Donato, "He And She, Ze And Xe: The Case For Gender-Neutral Pronouns." ''The Plaid Zebra.'' [http://www.theplaidzebra.com/ze-xe-case-gender-neutral-pronouns/ http://www.theplaidzebra.com/ze-xe-case-gender-neutral-pronouns/]</ref>
* [[Leslie Feinberg]] asked to be called by "ze, hir" pronouns, along with "zie, hir" and "she."<ref>Minnie Bruce Pratt, "Transgender Pioneer and Stone Butch Blues Author Leslie Feinberg Has Died." ''Advocate.'' November 17, 2014. [http://www.advocate.com/arts-entertainment/books/2014/11/17/transgender-pioneer-leslie-feinberg-stone-butch-blues-has-died http://www.advocate.com/arts-entertainment/books/2014/11/17/transgender-pioneer-leslie-feinberg-stone-butch-blues-has-died]</ref> In a magazine interview from 2014, Gabriel Antonio and another anonymous person both asked to be called by these pronouns.<ref>Al Donato, "He And She, Ze And Xe: The Case For Gender-Neutral Pronouns." ''The Plaid Zebra.'' [http://www.theplaidzebra.com/ze-xe-case-gender-neutral-pronouns/ http://www.theplaidzebra.com/ze-xe-case-gender-neutral-pronouns/]</ref>
*Writer [[Sassafras Lowrey]] uses ze/hir pronouns.<ref name="Lowrey2017">{{Cite web |title=A Guide To Non-binary Pronouns And Why They Matter |last=Lowrey |first=Sassafras |work=HuffPost |date=8 November 2017 |access-date=8 May 2020 |url= https://www.huffpost.com/entry/non-binary-pronouns-why-they-matter_b_5a03107be4b0230facb8419a }}</ref>
*Writer [[Sassafras Lowrey]] uses ze/hir pronouns.<ref name="Lowrey2017">{{Cite web |title=A Guide To Non-binary Pronouns And Why They Matter |last=Lowrey |first=Sassafras |work=HuffPost |date=8 November 2017 |access-date=8 May 2020 |url= https://www.huffpost.com/entry/non-binary-pronouns-why-they-matter_b_5a03107be4b0230facb8419a }}</ref>
* In the 2019 Gender Census, 4.7% of participants said they would be happy for people to use ''"ze/hir/hir/hirs/hirself"'' to refer to them.<ref name="Census2018"/>
* In the 2019 Gender Census, 4.7% of participants said they would be happy for people to use ''"ze/hir/hir/hirs/hirself"'' to refer to them.<ref name="Census2018"/>
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'''On Pronoun Island:''' [http://pronoun.is/ze http://pronoun.is/ze]
'''On Pronoun Island:''' [http://pronoun.is/ze http://pronoun.is/ze]
===Zey===
'''zey/zem/zeir''' is a pronoun set following the pattern of ''they/them/theirs'', but with the letter Z in place of TH.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/employees-and-payroll/new-employee-set-up-for-getting-his-paystub-emailed/00/283925|author=dolphinnetwork|date=December 27, 2019|title=Comment on "New employee set up for getting his paystub emailed"|quote=I personally think it's time for English to have a singular non-gendered pronoun, and suggest contracts and manuals use "Zey/Zem/Zeir"  (Zey will need to sign up to receive paystubs zeirself, but if no email was sent to zem automatically the payroll accountant can send it to zem.)}}</ref><ref>[https://www.reddit.com/user/Earl_The_Red/ Reddit profile of u/Earl_The_Red showing use of zey/zem/zeir pronouns]</ref>
'''Use for real nonbinary people:'''
*Writer and advocate [[Chris Paige]] uses zey/zem/zeir in addition to they/them/their. The "zey" pronoun set was suggested by zeir daughter to avoid singular/plural confusion.<ref name="BibleBash">{{Cite web |title=Enuchs and Jesus and Pronouns, Oh My! Mx Chris Paige -- Matthew 19 |author1=Hooper, Liam |author2=Toscano, Peterson |work=The Bible Bash Podcast |date=September 28, 2019 |access-date=July 14, 2020 |url= https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/climate-stew/e/64218290}}</ref>
===Zhe===
'''zhe, zhim, zher, zhers, zhimself''' or '''zherself'''. This pronoun set was proposed in November 2000 (or possibly earlier) by economist Fred E. Foldvary. Dr. Foldvary wrote:<ref>{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20001121014600/http://www.progress.org/fold162.htm|url=http://www.progress.org/fold162.htm |last=Foldvary|first=Fred E.|title=Zhe, zher, zhim|work=The Progress Report|archive-date=21 November 2000}}</ref>
{{quote|The English language needs new pronouns to refer to people in a gender-neutral way. I offer the words zhe, zher, and zhim, where the "zh" is pronounced as in the second "g" of garage or the "z" in azure. "Zhe" means either he or she for the subject of a sentence. "Zher" is the possessive "him" or "her." "Zhim" is the accusative or object of a sentence, meaning either "him" or "her."
For example: "Zhe was walking zher dog down the street and then gave zhim a treat." The pronoun "one" would not do here: "One was walking one's dog down the street and then gave one a treat" does not work. The use of the plural would make it sound like more than one person and more than one dog. For gender-neutral pronouns, new words are needed, and zhe, zher, zhim fits the need.}}
Dr. Foldvary did not specify a reflexive form of the pronoun, but various online pronoun lists give the reflexive as "zhimself" or "zherself".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://wou.edu/wp/safezone/pronouns/|title=Pronouns|work=Western Oregon University Safe Zone}}</ref><ref name="SmithM2019">{{Cite web |title=LGBTQIA Patients: Initiating a Positive Healthcare Experience with Open Lines of Communication |author=Smith, Margaret |work=nursingcenter.com |date=6 February 2019 |access-date=6 October 2020 |url= https://www.nursingcenter.com/ncblog/february-2019/lgbtqia-patients-initiating-a-positive-healthcare}}</ref>
'''Use in fiction:'''
* Zhe/zher pronouns were sometimes used for space pirate Eleodie Maracavanya in the ''Star Wars: Aftermath'' novels. Eleodie is the first canonly nonbinary character in the ''Star Wars'' universe.<ref>{{cite tweet |user=ChuckWendig| number=1007345075343552513|title=That would be the gender-neutral / non-binary pronoun used by human space pirate Eleodie Maracavanya.|date=14 June 2018}}</ref><ref name="Eleodie">{{Cite web |title=Eleodie Maracavanya |author= |work=Wookieepedia |date= |access-date=6 October 2020 |url= https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Eleodie_Maracavanya}}</ref>
* In season 11, episode 15 of the TV show ''Supernatural'', a character says "Well it's kinda every demon for him/her/zhimself."<ref name="supe_Quee">{{Cite web |title=Queer and Gender Diverse Characters |author= |work=supernaturalwiki.com |date= |access-date=6 October 2020 |url= http://www.supernaturalwiki.com/Queer_and_Gender_Diverse_Characters}}</ref>
'''Forms:'''
* '''Nominative:''' When I tell someone a joke ''zhe'' laughs.
* '''Accusative:''' When I greet a friend I hug ''zhim''.
* '''Pronominal possessive:''' When someone does not get a haircut, ''zher'' hair grows long.
* '''Predicative possessive:''' If I need a phone, my friend lets me borrow ''zhers''.
* '''Reflexive:''' Each child feeds ''zhimself''. (or ''zherself'')
'''On Pronoun Island:''' https://pronoun.is/zhe/zhim/zher/zhers/zhimself, https://pronoun.is/zhe/zhim/zher/zhers/zherself


===Zie===
===Zie===
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'''Use for real nonbinary people:'''
'''Use for real nonbinary people:'''
* In the 2019 Gender Census, 11 people (around 0.1%) said they'd be happy for people to use ''zie/zir'' (or some similar spelling) to refer to them.<ref name="Census2018"/>
In the 2019 Gender Census, 11 people (around 0.1%) said they'd be happy for people to use ''zie/zir'' (or some similar spelling) to refer to them.<ref name="Census2018"/> A notable nonbinary person who goes by ze/zim is the American writer and model [[Devin-Norelle]].<ref>[https://www.instagram.com/SteroidBeyonce/ Instagram profile], accessed 29 July 2020</ref><ref name="Michael">{{Cite web |title=Meet Devin-Norelle, Chromat's First Masculine of Center Model |author=Michael Love Michael |work=PAPER |date=9 September 2019 |access-date=29 July 2020 |url= https://www.papermag.com/devin-norelle-chromat-2640274990.html?rebelltitem=10#rebelltitem10 }}</ref>


'''Forms:'''
'''Forms:'''
Anonymous user
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