Re: Announcing VYLZ-Protocol for gender-free-vocabulary
- From: dontbother <dontbother@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 4 Jul 2006 02:26:43 +0000 (UTC)
"Gary Williams" <williamsg4713@xxxxxxxx> wrote
I think there are legitimate uses of the singular
"they/their/them" --- although I always find it difficult to
think of one when I need one --- and I do use it when I speak,
but when I write, I do my best to avoid having to use it.
Sometimes, however, it is the best solution.
When I said "disguise itself as singular" I didn't really mean to
be expressing disapproval of its ability to do so. I don't really
_like_ singular they, but agree with you that sometimes it is the
best solution...and always better than writing "she" with the
intent of including both sexes.
I wonder why we don't get more objections here to singular you.
Maybe because there are so many other languages in the world that use
that form? And in those languages, as in older varieties of English,
there are both singular and plural forms, which happened to naturally
merge a long time ago in English without political pressure from
those who felt left out by the "thee"/"thou" distinction?
--
Franke: EFL teacher and medical editor
Unmunged email: /at/hush.ai
Native speaker of American English, posting from Taiwan
It's all in the way you say it, innit?
.
- Follow-Ups:
- Re: Announcing VYLZ-Protocol for gender-free-vocabulary
- From: Gary Williams
- Re: Announcing VYLZ-Protocol for gender-free-vocabulary
- References:
- Re: Announcing VYLZ-Protocol for gender-free-vocabulary
- From: dontbother
- Re: Announcing VYLZ-Protocol for gender-free-vocabulary
- From: Gary Williams
- Re: Announcing VYLZ-Protocol for gender-free-vocabulary
- Prev by Date: Re: Pronunciation on "$2.94"
- Next by Date: Re: Three sizes, none of them medium
- Previous by thread: Re: Announcing VYLZ-Protocol for gender-free-vocabulary
- Next by thread: Re: Announcing VYLZ-Protocol for gender-free-vocabulary
- Index(es):
Relevant Pages
|
