theirtheir

Theirtheir is a neologism that appears in online discussion and linguistic experiments to describe the repetitive formation of the possessive pronoun their, producing a token that reads as “theirtheir.” It is not part of standard English grammar and is used mainly in talks about language, identity, and performative speech.

Origin and spread: The coinage emerges from reduplication patterns in internet discourse. It began circulating on microblogging platforms in the early 2020s as a playful example illustrating how pronouns can be used in language play while highlighting debates about inclusive language and how possessive forms operate with collectives.

Usage: In practice, theirtheir appears in sociolinguistic discussions, satire, and as a teaching example of reduplication. It is typically used to probe meaning, emphasis, and the boundaries between standard grammar and emergent forms. Example: “The committee released theirtheir report yesterday, noting that theirtheir approach was collaborative.”

Reception: Language scholars treat it as a sociolinguistic artifact rather than a standard pronoun form. Most style guides discourage nonstandard reduplication in formal writing, but the term is discussed in academic articles as a case study of pronoun politics and language creativity.

Variants and related terms: The phenomenon has inspired other coinages such as themtheir or theirs theirs; it is often discussed alongside other reduplication-inspired pronoun forms and broader conversations about gender-neutral language and collective ownership of actions.