Neopronouns are newly created or adapted third-person personal pronouns that go beyond the traditional English pronouns "he," "she," and "they." They are often used by nonbinary, genderqueer, transgender, or gender nonconforming individuals to better reflect their gender identity or to avoid gender specificity altogether
Key Characteristics of Neopronouns:
- They replace the conventional pronouns "he," "she," and "they."
- They can be entirely new words like "ze/hir" or "xe/xem," or derived from existing words such as "fae/faer."
- Some neopronouns are noun-self pronouns, where a noun is used as a pronoun, for example, "vamp/vampself" or "kitten/kittenself"
- They serve to provide more personalized and inclusive options for gender expression beyond binary pronouns
Examples of Neopronouns:
- Ze/zir/zirself
- Xe/xem/xyr/xemself
- Fae/faer/faers/faerself
- Ey/em/eir/emself
- Ne/nem/nemself
- Thon/thon/thonself
- Per/per/pers/perself
- Noun-self pronouns like "vamp/vampself" or "kitten/kittenself"
Usage:
Neopronouns function grammatically like traditional pronouns. For example:
- "Ze is going on a trip."
- "I borrowed thon's car."
- "Fang went outside. That is vamp's dog."
Purpose and Reception:
- They help individuals express their gender identity more accurately, especially for those who do not feel represented by traditional pronouns or singular "they."
- Some people use them to avoid confusion between singular and plural "they."
- While neopronouns are embraced by many in the LGBTQ+ community for inclusivity, they have also faced criticism and misunderstanding, sometimes viewed as confusing or unnecessary by others
Respecting neopronouns is important as it supports individuals' identities and can have positive mental health impacts, particularly for transgender and nonbinary youth
. In summary, neopronouns are an evolving set of gender-neutral or nonbinary pronouns that provide more personalized options for referring to people beyond the traditional pronouns "he," "she," and "they."
