English neutral pronouns: Difference between revisions

'''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</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">{{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.