Do you know what neo pronouns are?
Pronouns are terms that a person can use instead of the name, in order to identify oneself. She/her and he/him/his, for example, are traditionally feminine and masculine pronouns. However, there are people who prefer gender-neutral pronouns. They/them/theirs are the most popular gender-neutral pronouns, which are used to refer to an individual in a non-gendered fashion. Neo pronouns are mostly used by the LGBTQ community. Read on to know more about them.
What are neo pronouns?
Neo pronouns are a group of new (neo) pronouns that are increasingly being used to refer to people in a gender-neutral fashion. Ze/zir/zirs, ze/hir/hirs, xe/xem/xyrs, ey/em/eirs, fae/faer/faers, e/em/ems, ve/vir/vis, ne/nem/nir and per/per/pers are some examples of such neo pronouns. Neo pronouns can be used by anyone, but transgender, non-binary, and/or gender non-conforming people are the most likely to use them.
How to use neo pronouns in conversations with other people?
If we were to talk to someone who would use xe/xyrs/xem pronouns, the conversation would go something like this: “I saw Robin today. Xe told me about xyr recent trip to Colorado, where xe went rock climbing with xyr partner Kai. I told xem that if xe ever decided to head out to the Rockies again, xe should definitely check out the Flying Buttress.”
Some people like to use a variety of pronouns. While Robin uses the pronouns xe/xem/xyrs, xyr, another person Ria may choose ey/em/eirs and she/her/hers. In this instance, it's best to inquire as to whether the other individual has a primary choice. Some folks may not have a preference and be unconcerned if you utilise one over the other. Others may like it if you use their pronouns in a different order. For example, if you needed to introduce Ria to a buddy, you could say, "This is RIa, I met em through Robin." She was born and raised in Colorado."
Evolution of neo pronouns
Mary Orovan is credited with coining the pronouns ‘co/cos’ in 1970, while Christine Elverson entered the phrases ‘ey/em/eir’ in a local contest in 1975. Finally, there are the ‘e/em/eirs’ neo pronouns, which are reported to have been invented in the 1990s by Michael Spivak. Though none of these neo pronouns were prominent at the time they were created, they became more prominent during Tumblr's peak popularity. The micro-blogging service was at its pinnacle from 2010 to 2014, with millions of users posting daily. Many of the users were LGBTQ teenagers were found exchanging thoughts on themes like coming out and queer representation in movies and television, as well as reigniting the debate over neo pronouns.
What has led to the popularity of neo pronouns around the world today? Gendered pronouns may not be sufficient to express non-binary people's feelings about their gender. For some, even they/them/their pronouns just don’t feel right. As a result, neo pronouns provide a new and more customised method for people to be identified and referred to — without feeling compelled to use the gender binary. For instance, the gender-neutral pronoun "thon" appeared in Merriam- Webster's unabridged dictionary. ‘Thon’ is shortening of the term ‘that one’ which was coined in 1858 by composer and lawyer Charles Crozat Converse.