Cisgender now an officially recognised term

Annasopra

I'm delighted that the term cisgender is now officially recognised and this nonsense about it being made up and offensive can be dispensed!!

http://www.independent.co.uk/incoming/cisgender-has-been-added-to-the-oxford-english-dictionary-10343354.html

Aard

Many "made up" and/or offensive words appear in the dictionary.

Peregrinus

All words are made up. They don't grow on trees; people coin them.

The Oxford English Dictionary aims to describe how language is, not prescribe how it ought to be. If a word is used in print, then the OED will attempt to define it. This implies no judgment about whether, or when, the word ought to be used.

One eyed Jack

I can't remember when cisgender was even an offensive word, but I remember in a recent thread on here alright someone who didn't know what it meant was offended by it's use!

Incidentally, they also added 'meh' and 'fo shizzle' to the dictionary -


http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/jun/25/twerking-twitterati-fo-shizzle-meh-oxford-english-dictionary-new-words


Useful I suppose, in some contexts. One person upon hearing that cisgender was added to the dictionary might say 'meh', another may say 'fo shizzle!'... I can't see myself using either phrase too often :pac:

Jhcx

I'm lost by the use of this word. According to Google. "if the doctor announces it's a girl and she grows up to identify as a woman she is cisgender" how is this any different to the definitions already used?

Links234

Jhcx wrote: »

I'm lost by the use of this word.

I means not transgender. Cis is to trans, as straight is to gay. It's an important distinction, just as we wouldn't say "Gay people and normal people" because that is in effect a value judgment that gay people are in comparison abnormal. Likewise, cisgender is a word to describe people who are not transgender.