Can i put suffix -s at the end of the word 'transgender'?

Question

Hello, i'm lala. Since my mother tongue is not English, there is something i want to know. In Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, the word 'transgender' is an uncountable noun. Can i put a suffix -s at the end of this word? thank you very much

Clive · Accepted Answer

Hi Lala,

My dictionary does not even show it as a noun, and I haven't heard it used.

Yet I found this link, with lots of information. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transgender

It's a sensitive matter, in the culture in which I live.

What I hear is the adjectival form, 'transgendered'.

Please give us a sentence as an example of how you would like to use this word in the plural, so that we can comment.

Best wishes, Clive

Anonymous · Answer

Thanks for the reply

. It's also a senstive matter in the culture i live.

My friend translated a subtitle of a documentary film. It related to a transgender community. Then i watched the movie. I read the subtitle and i found this sentence: ' Some people think that transgender are abnormal'. Then, i checked in Longman that 'transgender' is a noun. The definition is 'a general word for people who feel that they belong to other ***... (i forget the rest)'. It's uncountable noun.

Since i found 'are' before the word 'transgender', can i put 's' although it's uncountable noun? As far as i know, uncountable noun can be countable (like 'coffee' be 'a coffee' so it's possible to say 'two coffees'). Correct me if i'm wrong .

Thank you so much

Clive · Answer

Hi,

I'm sure people would understand if you said 'Transgenders are . . . '

Personally, I'd say 'Transgendered people are . . . '

Best wishes, Clive

Anonymous · Answer

CliveHi,I'm sure people would understand if you said 'Transgenders are . . . 'Personally, I'd say 'Transgendered people are . . . 'Best wishes, Clive

I am looking up the plural of transgender also. One thing I do know is that 'transgendered' is not supposed to be correct. For example I am the female gender, I am not female gendered. A transgender person is the gender of a trans (trans in latin means across or opposite side). I guess now that I've thought it out I would use 'transgender people'

Anonymous · Answer

While writing a piece on transgender, my spell check kept giving me an error when I typed 'transgenders'. So I searched. Using transgender as a noun i.e. "a" transgender or the plural "transgenders" referring to multiple transgender people. It is generally objectifying to speak of a word that describes a group of people as a noun rather than an adjective. http://www.quora.com/Transgender/What-are-some-cultural-faux-pas-when-interacting-with-transgender-people

Anonymous · Answer

Transgendered is not a proper word, the plural form of Transgender is Transgenders A newer term that is becoming more accepted, especially here in the United States is Trans*.

This is an umbrella term that encompasses Transgender, Transsexual, Transvestite, Gender Queer and intersexed.

Can i put suffix -s at the end of the word 'transgender'?

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