Linguistic Expression of Nonbinary Identities in Finnish: Assemblage, Terminology, and the Role of English

This study examines the linguistic expression of Finnish nonbinary individuals’ gender identities. Data came from a 2023 Finnish-language online survey of genderqueer, gender-nonconforming, and nonbinary Finns, analyzed with qualitative thematic analysis and coded for the following themes: pronouns, gendered terms, names, terminology, features of Finnish, and the role of English. Findings show that the Finnish gender-neutral third-person pronoun hän can conceal gender while also enabling less gendered language. Some respondents used the English pronoun they/them to express gender. In lexical gender, participants used gendered nouns opposite to assigned sex at birth, opted for gender-neutral alternatives (e.g., vanhempi “parent”), or coined new terms. Names were used to communicate and legitimize identity within the community and before the state and the law. In our study, the most popular Finnish terms were muunsukupuolinen “othergender” and ei-binääri “nonbinary,” while English terms popular among respondents were queer and genderfluid. Muunsukupuolinen was employed for its widespread use and legibility, while queer was used because of its broad scope and connections to the queer community and history. Genderfluid was chosen because Finnish lacked a suitable alternative. Some respondents found Finnish terms ( vanhempi) and terminology ( muunsukupuolinen) unwieldy or artificial. Theoretically, this study draws on assemblage: nonbinary Finns assemble their repertoire of identity expression by creating or rejecting Finnish terms and using English when preferred. This dynamic range grants semiotic agency and self-determination.