Editing Shipping (fandom) (section)

==Etymology==
The usage of the term "ship" in its relationship sense appears to have been originated around 1995 by Internet fans of the TV show ''[[The X-Files]]'', who believed that the two main characters, [[Fox Mulder]] and [[Dana Scully]], should be engaged in a romantic relationship.<ref name="owemag2018">{{cite web|last=Owen|first=Maggie|url=https://www.fandom.com/articles/shipping-characters-sweet-science|title=The Sweet Science of Shipping|website=[[Fandom (website)|Fandom]]|date=June 29, 2018|access-date=May 31, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210115111548/https://www.fandom.com/articles/shipping-characters-sweet-science|archive-date=January 15, 2021|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/how-the-x-files-helped-shape-modern-fandom-including-shipping|title=How The X-Files helped shape modern fandom — including shipping|date=March 20, 2018|website=[[SYFY]]|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210306231135/https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/how-the-x-files-helped-shape-modern-fandom-including-shipping|archive-date=March 6, 2021}}</ref> They called themselves "relationshippers" at first;<ref name="owemag2018" /><ref name="kirmad2015" /><ref name="syfywaxaly">{{cite web|last=Wax|first=Alyse|url=https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/the-potency-of-fox-mulders-sportswear-from-the-red-speedo-to-georgetown-sweats|title=The potency of Fox Mulder's sportswear, from the red Speedo to Georgetown sweats|date=May 21, 2020|website=[[SYFY]]access-date=May 31, 2021|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210223113007/https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/the-potency-of-fox-mulders-sportswear-from-the-red-speedo-to-georgetown-sweats|archive-date=February 23, 2021}}</ref> then "R'shipper", and finally just "shipper".<ref name="syfywaxaly" /><ref name="etcol2018">{{cite web|last=Etman|first=Colleen|url=https://comicsverse.com/end-toxic-shipping/|title=Why We Need to End Toxic Shipping As A Fandom Community|website=ComicsVerse|date=June 28, 2018|access-date=May 31, 2021|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210125132943/https://comicsverse.com/end-toxic-shipping/|archive-date=January 25, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Iovine|first=Anna|url=https://mashable.com/article/ship-dating-slang-oxford-english-dictionary/|website=[[Mashable]]|title=It's time to add Internet slang 'ship' to the dictionary|date=November 20, 2019|access-date=May 31, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201203003758/https://mashable.com/article/ship-dating-slang-oxford-english-dictionary/|archive-date=December 3, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref>

The oldest recorded uses of the noun ''ship'' and the noun ''shipper'', according to the [[Oxford English Dictionary]],<ref>{{OED|ship, n.3}}</ref><ref>{{OED|shipper, n.2}}</ref><ref>{{OED|shipping, n.2}}</ref><ref>{{OED|ship, v.2}}</ref> date back to 1996 postings on the [[Usenet]] group ''alt.tv.x-files'';<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Morton|first=Ella|url=https://newrepublic.com/article/126715/x-files-i-want-believe-posters-origin-story|title=The X-Files "I Want to Believe" Poster's Origin Story|magazine=[[The New Republic]]|date=December 29, 2015|access-date=May 31, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210521112011/https://newrepublic.com/article/126715/x-files-i-want-believe-posters-origin-story|archive-date=May 21, 2021|url-status=live}}</ref> ''shipping'' is first attested slightly later, in 1997 and the verb ''to ship'' in 1998.<ref>{{cite web|last=Zimmer|first=Ben|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/as-the-x-files-returns-so-do-shippers-1454098144|title=As the 'X-Files' Returns, So Do 'Shippers'|website=[[Wall Street Journal]]|date=January 29, 2016|access-date=May 31, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170903065708/https://www.wsj.com/articles/as-the-x-files-returns-so-do-shippers-1454098144|archive-date=September 3, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>