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I'm a bit (okay, A LOT) of a word nerd. I'm fascinated by the evolution and etymology of words, and the power words hold.

Lately, I've seen an influx of folks claiming that "cis" is a slur, so let's talk about Latin prefixes!

Cis: a Latin prefix meaning "on the same side of"

Example: "Cisatlantic" means on the same side of the Atlantic Ocean

Trans: a Latin prefix meaning "across, beyond, on the other side of"

Example: "Transatlantic" means on the other side of the Atlantic or crossing the Atlantic Ocean.

Though there are fewer words with the "cis" prefix in English, there are MANY words with the "trans" prefix, such as transportation, translation, transform, transaction, and transition.

These prefixes have been around in the scientific and medical fields for a while. "Cisgender" and "transgender" are adjectives. They are merely descriptors with completely neutral connotations. It's like calling something that's red, red. You call it red because it's... well, red. This is not an insult (or a slur) toward the red object. Of course, you can get more technical with the many shades that fall under the red umbrella (maroon, burgundy, scarlet, etc), in much the same way that there are micro labels under the trans umbrella (genderq***r, agender, etc).

Adjectives CAN have a positive or negative connotation, though not all do. For example, if I say "wet," that word has a neutral connotation. Whereas "sopping" or "drenched" have a more negative connotation, and "dewy" and "sprinkling" have a more positive connotation. However, with "cis" and "trans," this is not the case.

If someone associates "cis" with a negative connotation, it could be because they view "trans" as such. Or it could be because they view their gender as "normal," as "the default setting," thus not needing an additional qualifier.

Picture this:
You're trying to point someone out in a crowd to your friend. In this hypothetical, the majority of the people are wearing a blue shirt, so it may not be particularly helpful to say "the person with the blue shirt." You might describe the person using other adjectives and characteristics, like "the tall person with the glasses and baseball hat." Now let's say that the person you want to point out is one of the few NOT wearing a blue shirt, so you might include "the person wearing the purple shirt" in your description.

Notice that these descriptors all have a neutral connotation, and they offer no insight into the speaker's or listener's opinion of them. It's not necessary to describe one's gender identity as "trans" or "cis" all the time; however, when there's discourse on trans-specific issues, it is an important and informative qualifier.

While we're on the subject, there is no need to add the suffix "ed" to cisgender or transgender because they are adjectives. "Ed" is a suffix that's typically added to a verb to make it past tense. My cats are cute and cuddly, not cuted and cuddlied.

Note: I am not the monolith or chosen representative for the q***r and trans community. Others may have different perspectives, especially when it comes to understanding the intricacies and nuances of language. I welcome discourse and questions in the comments! If you are cisgender, please be mindful that you are not speaking over trans/nonbinary voices. :)