adding information from the mistakenly made NeopronounS page, adding citationneeded to some things without sources, adding image, fixing duplicated section for statistics, generally fixing up page
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{{Cleanup|reason=Usage section could use more statistics on how many people actually use individual neopronouns}}
{{OtherIdentity|image1=Neopronouns by GeekyCorn.png|type=[[Pronoun]]|caption1=The general neopronouns pride flag by Geekycorn.}}
'''{{PAGENAME}}'''s are a singular third-person pronouns that are not officially recognized in the language they are used in, typically created with the intent of being a gender-neutral pronoun set.
== Definitions==
In English, and many other [[wikipedia:Indo-European languages|Indo-European languages]], third-person pronouns can be gendered. In English, "she/her" is considered to be for women, "he/him" for men, and "they/them" by non-binary individuals. Realisitically, many individuals [[Pronoun Non-Conforming|deviate]] from this convention. Some individuals prefer using neopronouns as an alternative gender-neutral pronoun set.
This could be to avoid singular "they" being confused with plural "they," because neopronouns express something about them or their gender (like [[xenogender]]s), or because they feel more comfortable using neopronouns over any of the standard pronoun options.
==History==
Historically, there were two gender-neutral pronouns native to English dialects, ''ou'' and ''(h)a''. According to Dennis Baron's ''Grammar and Gender'':{{CitationNeeded}} Baron goes on to describe how relics of these gender-neutral terms survive in some British dialects of Modern English (for example ''hoo'' for "she", in Yorkshire), and sometimes a pronoun of one gender might be applied to a human or non-human animal of the opposite gender. This aforementioned ''hoo'' is also sometimes used in the West Midlands and south-west England as a common gender pronoun.
In some West Country dialects, the pronoun ''er'' can be used in place of either ''he'' or ''she'', although only in weak (unstressed) positions such as in tag questions. These pronouns may not strictly fit the definition of neopronouns, as they developed naturally in the language and, as far as can be discerne, were not created by an individual with the goal of creating a gender-neutral pronoun. Additionally, in Essex, in the south-east of England, in the Middle English period, the spelling "hye" could refer to either he or she.{{CitationNeeded}} More recently, in the city of Baltimore, and possibly other cities in the United States, ''yo'' has come to be used as a gender-neutral pronoun.{{CitationNeeded}}
Both the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) and Wright's English Dialect Dictionary confirm the use of "a" in place of "he," "she," "it," "they," and even "I." It is a reduced form of the [[wikipedia:Old English|Old English]] pronoun, "he," meaning "he" and "heo" meaning "she".<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20100418022839/http://www.aetherlumina.com/gnp/history.html</ref> Some surviving British dialects still use this pronoun.<ref>http://web.archive.org/web/20080630041424/http://www.bartleby.com/64/C005/004.html</ref>
Various proposals for the use of other non-standard pronouns have been introduced since at least the 19th century. Ou was first recorded in a native English dialect in the 16th century. In 1789, William H. Marshall documented the use of ''a'', used by 14th century English writer, John of Trevisa, the existence of a dialectal English epicene pronoun, singular ''ou'': '"Ou will" expresses either he will, she will, or it will.' Marshall traces ''ou'' as possibly deriving from [[wikipedia:Middle English|Middle English]] ''a''.
"Co" was coined by feminist writer Mary Orovan in 1970.{{CitationNeeded}} "Co" is in common usage in intentional communities of the Federation of Egalitarian Communities, and "co" appears in the bylaws of several of these communities. In addition to use when the gender of the antecedent is unknown or indeterminate, some use it as gender-blind language and always replace gender-specific pronouns.
Several variants of ''ze'' have been proposed, with different object forms, to meet the need of unspecified gender situations and transgender persons. Kate Bornstein, an American transgender author, used the pronoun forms ''ze'' and ''hir'' in the book "Nearly Roadkill: an Infobahn erotic adventure" in 1996.{{CitationNeeded}} Jeffrey A. Carver, an American science fiction writer, used the pronoun ''hir'' in the novel "From a Changeling Star" for a different-gendered nonhuman, in 1989.{{CitationNeeded}}
In addition to an interjection and greeting, ''yo'' is a gender-neutral pronoun in a dialect of [[wikipedia:African-American Vernacular English|African-American Vernacular English]] (AAVE) 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. The speakers thought of it as a slang word that was informal, but they also thought if 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 only collected examples of ''yo'' used in the nominative form, finding no possessive forms such as ''*yo's'' and no reflexive forms such as ''*yoself''.<ref>https://dc.etsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=https://nonbinary.wiki/&httpsredir=1&article=1203&context=honors</ref>
!Nominative (subject)
!Oblique (object)
! Independent genitive
(Possessive )
!Dependent genitive
|I called ''her''
|''her'' eyes gleam
| that is ''hers''
|she likes ''herself''
|-
|I called ''<nowiki/>'em<nowiki/>''
|–
| –
|–
|-
|''yos'' eyes gleam
|that is ''yos''
| yo likes ''yoself''
|-
! colspan="6" |Written conventions based on traditional pronouns
|–
|–
| –
|–
|-
! colspan="6" |Artificial and proposed epicene pronouns
|-
! thon
(Converse, 1884)
|''thon'' is laughing
|I called ''xem''
|''xyr'' eyes gleam
| that is ''xyrs''
|xe likes ''xemself''
|-
! te
(Farrel, 1974)
|''te'' is laughing
(Humanist, 1982)
|''hu'' is laughing
| I called ''hum''
|''hus'' eyes gleam
|that is ''hus''
|hu likes ''humself''
|-
! E
(Spivak, 1983)
|''E'' is laughing
| I called ''Em''
|''Eir'' eyes gleam
|that is ''Eirs''
(Bornstein, 1998)
|''ze (zie, sie)'' is laughing
| I called ''hir''
|''hir'' eyes gleam
|that is ''hirs''
|ze (zie, sie) likes ''hirself''
|-
! zhe
(Foldvary, 2000)
|''zhe'' is laughing
|peh likes ''pehself''
|-
! ze, zir
(anon., c. 2013)
|''ze (zie, sie)'' is laughing
|''zir/zes'' eyes gleam
|that is ''zirs/zes''
| ze (zie, sie) likes ''zirself/zemself''
|-
!fae
|''fae'' is laughing
| I called ''faer''
|''faer'' eyes gleam
|that is ''faers''
|fae likes ''faerself''
|}<br />
▲== Subsets ==
====Nounself====
''Main article: [[Nounself]]''
'''Nounself pronouns''' are a subset of neopronouns that are more directly based on words, often nouns.
=====History =====
It is unclear where the word "nounself" itself was first coined, although it may be on Tumblr because of the amount of popularity that nounself sets gained, starting in 2015.
=====Thonself =====
The earliest example of what could be called a nounself pronoun was proposed by by American lawyer Charles Crozat Converse in 1884. Converse took the words "this one" and "that one" and proposed ''thon'' as a gender-neutral pronoun set.American composer Charles Crozat Converse who proposed the pronoun set thon/thons/thonself in 1858.<ref>https://www.dynamicchiropractic.com/mpacms/dc/article.php?id=43422</ref> It was based on a contraction of "that one". The ''thon'' pronoun was included in some dictionaries such as Webster's International Dictionary (1910), Funk & Wagnalls New Standard Dictionary (1913), and Webster's Second International (1959). The pronouns are not widely used in the present day. In the 2019 Gender Census, 18 (0.2%) people said that they were happy to be referred to by ''thon''.<ref name=":0">https://gendercensus.com/post/183832246805/gender-census-2019-the-full-report-worldwide</ref>{{Quote|thon. Pronoun of the 3rd person, common gender, meaning “that one, he she, or it”: a neoterism proposed by Charles Crozat Converse, and apparently complying with the neoteristic canons, since it supplies an antecedent blank, obeys a simple and obvious analogy, and is euphonious.|—Funk and Wagnalls, Supplement to A Standard Dictionary of the English Language, 1903|https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/third-person-gender-neutral-pronoun-thon}}For most of the 20th century, ''thon'' appeared in various publications of Funk and Wagnalls, and also spread to another dictionary, Merriam-Webster’s Second New International Dictionary (1934 edition). ''Thon'' was removed from abridged dictionary in the third edition.
For most of the 20th century, ''thon'' appeared in various publications of Funk and Wagnalls, and also spread to another dictionary, Merriam-Webster’s Second New International Dictionary (1934 edition). ''Thon'' was removed from abridged dictionary in the third edition.
===== Humanist Pronouns=====
Often called humanist pronouns, ''hu/hum/hus/hus/humself'' was used in several college humanities texts published by Bandanna Books and originated by editor Sasha Newborn in 1982.
=====Faeself And Others =====
One of the most commonly recognized nounself pronoun sets is ''fae/faer'', first seen online in 2013.<ref>https://genderheaven.tumblr.com/post/635251444970291201/pronouns-i-have-encountered-in-no-particular-order</ref>
{{Quote|Okay, so!
While "neopronouns" are typically used to describe third person pronouns, the definition of the word could also apply to alternate first person pronouns. These are not common, but alternate first person pronouns do exist and are used, which may or may not be related to being transgender.
<br />
==Community==
===Statistics===
* 25% of LGBTQ youth use they/them exclusively, a combination of he/him, she/her, or they/them, or neopronouns such as ze/zir or fae/faer.<ref>https://www.thetrevorproject.org/2020/07/29/research-brief-pronouns-usage-among-lgbtq-youth/</ref>▼
==Misgendering==▼
===Controversy ===▼
Using the incorrect pronouns for someone when you are aware of their pronouns is misgendering<ref>https://www.adl.org/education/resources/tools-and-strategies/lets-get-it-right-using-correct-pronouns-and-names</ref>. Misgendering is an act of erasure and transphobia, which has been linked to mental health struggles and suicide<ref>https://www.childtrends.org/blog/research-shows-the-risk-of-misgendering-transgender-youth</ref>. The U.S. Transgender Survey states that 54% of those living with unsupportive families, where their family members may misgender them, had attempted suicide within their lifetime. 37% of those with supportive families had attempted suicide at some point of their lives.<ref>http://affinitymagazine.us/2017/04/17/intentionally-misgendering-transgender-people-is-considered-violence/</ref>{{Quote|Because names and pronouns are the two ways people call and refer to others, they are personal and important. They are also key facets of our identity. Therefore, calling someone by the wrong name or “misgendering” them by using incorrect pronouns can feel disrespectful, harmful and even unsafe.|Let’s Get It Right: Using Correct Pronouns and Names|ADL.org<ref>http://ADL.org</ref>}}{{Quote|According to the World Health Organization, violence is referred to as “the intentional use of physical force or power, threatened or actual, against oneself, another person, or against a group or community, that either results in or has a high likelihood of resulting in injury, death, psychological harm, maldevelopment, or deprivation.” <br />When someone intentionally misgenders a transgender person, it can be noted as psychological abuse. Misgendering is dehumanizing; when you purposefully disregard someone’s gender, simply because they are not like you, it can lead to mental and physical harm.|Intentionally Misgendering Transgender People is Considered Violence|Affinity Magazine<ref>http://affinitymagazine.us/2017/04/17/intentionally-misgendering-transgender-people-is-considered-violence/</ref>}}▼
===Perceptions and Discrimination===
* It is a common claim (usually of [[Exclusionist]] groups) that neopronouns, especially nounself pronouns, are a new invention. However, this is untrue and ahistorical. Humanist pronouns are an example of nounself pronouns that are older than most exclusionists themselves.▼
▲==Controversy==
* Another common claim is that using fae/faer or similar pronouns is cultural appropriate against Pagans/Celtrics; However these aren't the only cultures that have fae<ref name=":1">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairy#Origins</ref>, the original coiner identified as a fae faerself<ref name=":2">https://genderheaven.tumblr.com/post/635251444970291201/pronouns-i-have-encountered-in-no-particular-order</ref>, and Celts and Pagans are statistically more likely to feel actively good <ref name=":3">https://everypronoun.tumblr.com/post/644179322689798144/on-faefaer-pronouns-and-cultural-appropriation</ref>about someone’s fae/faer pronouns, even when that person is not a Celt/Pagan.▼
▲* It is a common claim (usually of [[Exclusionist]] groups) that neopronouns, especially nounself pronouns, are a new invention. However, this is untrue and ahistorical.
▲* Another common claim is that using fae/faer or similar pronouns is cultural appropriate against Pagans/Celtrics; However these aren't the only cultures that have fae<ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairy#Origins</ref>, the original coiner identified as a fae faerself<ref>https://genderheaven.tumblr.com/post/635251444970291201/pronouns-i-have-encountered-in-no-particular-order</ref>, and Celts and Pagans are statistically more likely to feel actively good <ref>https://everypronoun.tumblr.com/post/644179322689798144/on-faefaer-pronouns-and-cultural-appropriation</ref>about someone’s fae/faer pronouns, even when that person is not a Celt/Pagan.
▲====Misgendering====
== Canon Representation ==▼
Neopronoun users are frequently subject to misgendering. (''See main article: [[Misgendering]]'')
▲UsingMisgendering theis incorrectan pronouns for someone when you are awareact of theirerasure pronounsand is misgenderingtransphobia<ref name=":4">https://www.adl.org/education/resources/tools-and-strategies/lets-get-it-right-using-correct-pronouns-and-names</ref>. Misgendering is an act of erasure and transphobia, which has been linked to mental health struggles and suicide<ref name=":5">https://www.childtrends.org/blog/research-shows-the-risk-of-misgendering-transgender-youth</ref>. The U.S. Transgender Survey states that 54% of those living with unsupportive families, where their family members may misgender them, had attempted suicide within their lifetime. 37% of those with supportive families had attempted suicide at some point of their lives.<ref name=":6">http://affinitymagazine.us/2017/04/17/intentionally-misgendering-transgender-people-is-considered-violence/</ref>{{Quote|Because names and pronouns are the two ways people call and refer to others, they are personal and important. They are also key facets of our identity. Therefore, calling someone by the wrong name or “misgendering” them by using incorrect pronouns can feel disrespectful, harmful and even unsafe.|Let’s Get It Right: Using Correct Pronouns and Names|ADL.org<ref>http://ADL.org</ref>}}{{Quote|According to the World Health Organization, violence is referred to as “the intentional use of physical force or power, threatened or actual, against oneself, another person, or against a group or community, that either results in or has a high likelihood of resulting in injury, death, psychological harm, maldevelopment, or deprivation.” <br />When someone intentionally misgenders a transgender person, it can be noted as psychological abuse. Misgendering is dehumanizing; when you purposefully disregard someone’s gender, simply because they are not like you, it can lead to mental and physical harm.|Intentionally Misgendering Transgender People is Considered Violence|Affinity Magazine<ref>http://affinitymagazine.us/2017/04/17/intentionally-misgendering-transgender-people-is-considered-violence/</ref>}}
==List of neopronouns==
''See main article: [[Pronoun/List|Neopronoun/List]]''
== Flags==
[[File:Pronoun Path.png|thumb|alt=A screenshot of a Tumblr ask answered by mothpride. An anonymous user asks, quote, "Hi! I was wondering if you could do a lov/lovs (like from the word love) pronoun path flag? They're such a cool concept and I love them lots. Thank you!" End quote. The answer has two images of a lov/lovs pronoun flag, one with "Lov/lovs" written in a white, handwritten font. The flag is square, with a pastel pink background. Both the vertical and horizontal third quarters of the flag are colored, and their square intersection is colored raspberry red. The top part of the vertical strip is dark pink, and the bottom is fuchsia. The left side of the horizontal stripe is dark salmon pink, and the right side is pink.|An example of the "pronoun path" format for flags.]]
Like other parts of a person's identity, like their gender or orientation, flags may be made specifically for pronouns. Unlike other facets of queer identity, pronoun flags at large don't follow any real common convention. Flags for pronouns vary wildly in design, number of stripes, and symbols used. A pronoun flag format called "pronoun path" is used by Tumblr user mothpride. This refers to a specific design of flag that uses two overlapping stripes, with each flag being unaligned with any identity, just pronouns. The first example of this format being used was posted November 10th, 2020, and the term "pronoun path" was first used in another post the same day.<ref>https://archive.is/Da1c8</ref>
</gallery>
*
▲* 25% of LGBTQ youth use they/them exclusively, a combination of he/him, she/her, or they/them, or neopronouns such as ze/zir or fae/faer.<ref>https://www.thetrevorproject.org/2020/07/29/research-brief-pronouns-usage-among-lgbtq-youth/</ref>
==Sources==
[[Category:Neopronoun| ]]
[[Category:Pronoun]]
[[Category:Terminology]]
[[Category:Needs Audio Pronunciation]]
[[Category:Needs Written Pronunciation]]
<references />