Comment

then_three_more@lemmy.world ⁨7⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

What would you say are better? I find singular they much more elegant than a lot of the new words that were made up. The fact that to apply it to a known individual, rather than an unknown individual seems like a natural extension of the usage that has existed for centuries.

source

Sort:hotnew top

kbal@fedia.io ⁨7⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
I don't really have a preference myself, but Richard Stallman's continued insistence that "per" is the right answer is the example that comes to mind.

As he puts it, "most languages have genderless singular third-person pronouns which are distinct from the plural pronouns. English deserves to have them too."

source
- then_three_more@lemmy.world ⁨7⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  
  Always say “they”. This violates the grammar of English so deeply that it feels terribly wrong. It also results frequently in confusing expressions in which the referent of “they” is unclear.
  
  I totally disagree with this. Singular they has been in use since the 14th century or so. It’s so deeply ingrained in the language that is perfectly simple to understand. In fact I’d say that people who claim to not understand it are doing so intentionally.
  
  Perhaps a new word will develop naturally as you say. But personally I don’t see a need for it.
  
  source