Filipinx

or fil·i·pi·nx

[ fil-uh-pee-neks, ‐-pingks ]

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 Filipino or Filipina ):

   a Filipinx singer-songwriter.

noun

, plural Fil·i·pi·nxs [fil-, uh, -, pee, -nek-siz], (especially collectively) Fil·i·pi·nx.

1. a person of Philippine origin or descent, especially one living in the United States (used to indicate gender-neutrality in place of Filipino or Filipina ).

Grammar Note

The word Filipino, upon which Filipinx is based, ultimately comes from Spanish. In Spanish, the -o ending marks the word as masculine. Some speakers exchange the masculine-marked -o endings for gender-neutral -x, especially when using Spanish words in English. However, the Indigenous language Tagalog, upon which the Pilipino language is based, doesn’t have grammatical gender. Pilipino therefore borrowed the word Filipino from Spanish as a gender-neutral term that can refer to any person from the Philippines. For this reason, there is debate on whether changing the ending is necessary. Many in the Philippines use Filipino in all contexts, while some in the United States use Filipinx as a gender-neutral or gender-inclusive alternative, especially in self-reference.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Filipinx¹

First recorded 2010–15; Filipina ( def ) or Filipino ( def ) + x ³( def ) (in the sense “unknown quantity or variable”)

Example Sentences

In the relentless battle against COVID-19, the Filipinx nursing community emerged as a resilient yet disproportionately impacted front line.

From Seattle Times

As someone with a sister within the Filipinx nursing community, I know these nurses had an integral role in aiding the rising cases during the peak of the pandemic.

From Seattle Times

By standing in solidarity with Filipinx nurses, by advocating for support and addressing health disparities, we can create a more resilient and equitable health care landscape.

From Seattle Times

It is time to spotlight dedicated Filipinx nurses, advocating for robust support systems and implementing essential health precautions to avert a potential widespread disaster that threatens not only their safety but the resilience of our entire health care infrastructure.

From Seattle Times

If there aren’t enough students at one school, they can set up a virtual classroom, which is what they did for the eight students from five high schools who signed up for Filipinx American U.S.

From Seattle Times