Pinxy

or pinx·y

[ pingk-see ]

adjective

1. of or relating to people of Philippine origin or descent, especially those living in the United States (used to indicate gender-neutrality in place of Pinoy or Pinay ); Filipinx.

noun

1. a Filipinx.

Grammar Note

The identity word Pinoy, the origin of the term Pinxy, ultimately comes from the Spanish-derived word Filipino. The pino from that word is combined with the Tagalog diminutive -y to make Pinoy . In Spanish, the -o ending marks the word as masculine, in contrast to the feminine-marked Filipina and Pinay. Some speakers replace the -o in this context with -x to create gender-neutral forms, especially in Spanish words that are used in English. However, the Indigenous language Tagalog, upon which the Pilipino language is based, doesn’t have grammatical gender. There is debate, therefore, about whether the -o- in Pinoy is masculine because of its relationship to the Spanish gendered ending -o, or gender-neutral because of its lack of gender in Pilipino. Many in the Philippines use Pinoy in all contexts, while some in the United States replace the -o- and use Pinxy as a gender-neutral or gender-inclusive alternative, especially in self-reference, as with Filipinx.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Pinxy¹

First recorded in 2015; Pinoy ( def ) or Pinay ( def ) + x ³( def ) (in the sense “unknown quantity or variable”); Latinx ( def )