Running a parallel path, the word 'womxn' originated in 1971 but only gained visibility in the last decade. 'However, some saw 'womyn' as not inclusive enough, in particular not including the transgender community. 'With what meaning? To avoid defining women in reference to male norms and forms,' says Dr. Lahmann adds, 'there is also the variant of 'womyn' with a 'y.'' This feminist spelling (the plural form of the singular 'womon') first appeared in print in 1975 and was added to the Oxford English dictionary in 2006, she says. It demands greater inclusiveness and fluidity, encompassing trans, women, and non-binary people.' - Cornelia Lahmann, PhD ''Womxn' originated in 1971, but only gained visibility in the last decade. Lahmann, but 'why 'x' became the more popularly used letter in math is speculation.' In his 17th century text La Géométrie, philosopher René Descartes popularized the use of ' x, y, z' to represent the unknown quantities (and 'a, b, c' for known quantities), says Dr. Below, get background on how the third-to-last letter in the English alphabet came to be in the first place, different schools of thought regarding its success in fostering inclusivity, and how to be the best ally you can with your word choice-regarding spelling and beyond. Of course, the fact that language is constantly under construction means that it's never perfect-and the proliferation of the letter 'x' is no exception. 'As our culture changes, we may need new words or reconsider existing words…language affects how we view the world and behave.' The uptick in use of and interest in words using 'x' (like folx, womxn, and Latinx), then, is a direct reflection of society's need for terms that support identities that don't fit in a gender binary, like genderqueer, trans, and agender people, among many others. 'Language is part and parcel of what we call culture, but also a driver of culture,' Dr. They're intended to promote inclusivity, but given that intent and impact are two very different things, there's debate around whether the 'x' actually makes a word more inclusive.Īccording to Cornelia Lahmann, PhD, a linguistic expert with the language-learning platform Babbel, language evolves to fit cultural needs. 'Folx,' 'womxn,' and 'Latinx” are all terms that have all spiked in Google searches over the last five years and have become the subject of lengthy subreddits focused on understanding the problematic nature of binary-centered language (male vs female).

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