hijhet

Hijhet is a hypothetical term used in linguistic and cultural studies to discuss how referential forms can encode shifting perspective, identity, or stance within discourse. The word combines the Dutch elements hij, meaning he, and het, meaning the or it, and is chosen to signal a potential overlap between personal and impersonal reference in experimental analyses of language.

Definition and scope: In the concept, hijhet refers to a referential strategy in which a single form is employed to cover multiple referents or roles in a sentence. The approach imagines a marker that can function as both a masculine subject indicator and an impersonal or neuter reference depending on context, discourse, and audience interpretation. It is primarily discussed as a theoretical tool rather than an established grammatical category.

Origins and use: Hijhet emerged in late 2020s as a thought experiment within discussions of gender, pronouns, and language design. It is not widely adopted in formal grammars or dictionaries, but it is used in analyses of how language might adapt to non-traditional referents and to examine ambiguity, clarity, and communicative intention in hypothetical corpora.

Reception and critique: Proponents see hijhet as a useful way to explore referential flexibility and inclusive language planning. Critics caution that artificially broad markers could complicate interpretation, hinder automatic processing, and undermine precision in formal contexts.

See also: pronoun, gender-neutral language, referential ambiguity, language planning.