The official dictionary of the Swedish language is to include a gender-neutral pronoun for the first time among new entries in its latest edition.
According to the Swedish Academy, which compiles the dictionary, the term ‘hen’ will now be listed as an alternative to the sex-specific pronouns ‘han’ (he) and ‘hon’ (she).
The intention, according to the Academy, is to provide a reference to an individual without revealing their gender. This is to accommodate transgender persons and those who may not wish to reveal gender information, as well as offering a term where gender is unknown.
Though set to appear in the dictionary for the first time this April, the ‘hen’ term has existed in Sweden since the 1960s, when the growth of feminism first made traditional terms a source of debate. However, its usage did not take hold until after the year 2000 when Sweden’s trasngender community adopted it for use and its recognition has grown steadily since. It is today used in court proceedings and official texts. Such growing use is one of the factors involved in the updating of the Swedish dictionary which takes place every 10 years.