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English neutral pronouns: Difference between revisions
Added a section on the hu/hum pronoun set.
m (Updated a broken link on reference #72 regarding the first known usage of the pronouns ve/ver/vis. (Reasonably certain I was the one to supply that link in a different wiki, about a year or so ago, just updating it to one that works properly.)) |
ShawnCButler (talk | contribs) (Added a section on the hu/hum pronoun set.) |
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* '''Reflexive:''' Each child feeds ''himself or herself''. | * '''Reflexive:''' Each child feeds ''himself or herself''. | ||
=== | === Hu === | ||
'''Hu, hum, hus, humself''' (or hu, hum, hus, '''huself'''). These singular neutral pronouns were originally coined by Sasha Newborn in 1982. She called the neologisms Humanist as they are [[nounself pronouns]] based on the word (noun) <u>hu</u>man, which is also how they're pronounced. While this pronoun set has not been widely used, a variation (hu, hu) did gain some attention in the 2024 US presidential election, where one candidate offered hu/hu as a pronoun option in a campaign form.<ref>Valerie Richardson, "[https://highergroundtimes.com/higher-ground/2024/aug/15/kamala-harris-presidential-campaign-presses-job-ap/ Hu/hu? Harris for President campaign presses job applicants to pick zir pronouns]", Aug 15, 2024. Higher Ground Times.</ref> | |||
'''Use by nonbinary people:''' A variation where ''hum'' is pronounced like the existing word hum, rather than like hew, has gained some traction. | |||
'''Forms:''' | |||
* '''Nominative:''' ''Hu'' loves hiking and climbing. | |||
* '''Accusative:''' I have no idea what they said to ''hum''. | |||
* '''Pronominal possessive:''' It's hard to believe someone stole ''hus'' car. | |||
* '''Predicative possessive:''' It's easy to believe the car is ''hus''. | |||
* '''Reflexive:''' Each of us needs to consider this ''humself''. | |||
'''On Fandom:''' https://pronoun.fandom.com/wiki/Humanself | |||
'''On Pronouns:''' https://en.pronouns.page/hu | |||
'''On Pronouns List:''' https://pronounslist.com/hum-hum | |||
=== It === | |||
'''it, it, its, its, itself'''. This standard English set of genderless pronouns is used for inanimate objects, animals, and human infants. During Dickens’ time, these were also acceptable pronouns for older human children and spirits of the dead, as these permutations of humanity were seen as not really male or female. This pronoun is not male or female. Using it for an adult human is often seen as an insult, dehumanizing. While considered offensive by most, some nonbinary people use "it" as a means of reclamation and to challenge the idea that genderlessness is inherently dehumanizing. | '''it, it, its, its, itself'''. This standard English set of genderless pronouns is used for inanimate objects, animals, and human infants. During Dickens’ time, these were also acceptable pronouns for older human children and spirits of the dead, as these permutations of humanity were seen as not really male or female. This pronoun is not male or female. Using it for an adult human is often seen as an insult, dehumanizing. While considered offensive by most, some nonbinary people use "it" as a means of reclamation and to challenge the idea that genderlessness is inherently dehumanizing. | ||