He/She... or the One?

[Italios]

Yeah, those people can fuck off. Was I not clear?

Fuck no. That's the stupidest thing I've heard all week.

At this point I feel that the English language as it currently exists, may be too deeply steeped in sexist rhetoric to be salvaged by words in the existing domain; what may well be needed is for someone to break the wheel, shake up the table, and introduce some new elements into the system to change the starting assumptions

Why though? They is already used. The new pronouns may be faced with hostility and just create more problems. They is perfectly usable in my opinion. The circumstances "they" is used in can easily clarify if the meaning is in plural or singular by itself.

[Infected Mushroom]

At this point I feel that the English language as it currently exists, may be too deeply steeped in sexist rhetoric to be salvaged by words in the existing domain; what may well be needed is for someone to break the wheel, shake up the table, and introduce some new elements into the system to change the starting assumptions

CM, are you sure that was the stupidest thing you've heard all week? Because he just said this.

I'm sure you'll make a real point eventually (or maybe not)

[Zottistan]

Isn't "they" the default for a single person of unknown gender?

[Infected Mushroom]

Isn't "they" the default for a single person of unknown gender?

No, its currently disputed by formal academics and in many institutions, where you choose to use it, it will be frowned upon

[Aelex]

When I could have understood this thread if we were talking about a latin language since they only have male and female pronoun why are we even having this discussion about English? You got a gender neutral pronoun already!

[Vassenor]

Isn't "they" the default for a single person of unknown gender?

Apparently "they" is still too gendered and needs to be thrown out and replaced with "bunself" or something.

[Aelex]

I'm sure you'll make a real point eventually (or maybe not)

That's the thing I kinda think every time you talk.

[The Empire of Pretantia]

CM, are you sure that was the stupidest thing you've heard all week? Because he just said this.

I'm sure you'll make a real point eventually (or maybe not)

I've made my point: your threads are all stupid. Now you make yours.

[Lydenburg]

Why are English speakers so obsessed with gender pronouns and "he"/"she"?

In Afrikaans we can use "sy" in casual context to refer to a female pronoun (she, etc), a male pronoun (his), as well as a person of undetermined gender and even inanimate objects and nobody gives a monkey's. It can mean she, he, or it when we're too lazy to care. But yet there's no stigma whatsoever attached to speaking this way.

English needs a sy.

[Godular]

I disagree, it has its uses in everyday conversation. One might say that it's situationally appropriate.

Well I just think it just makes a person sound too much like European royalty circa 1540.

One wonders how they came upon that impression.

[The Empire of Pretantia]

Why are English speakers so obsessed with gender pronouns and "he"/"she"?

In Afrikaans we can use "sy" in casual context to refer to a female pronoun (she, etc), a male pronoun (his), as well as a person of undetermined gender and even inanimate objects and nobody gives a monkey's. It can mean she, he, or it when we're too lazy to care. But yet there's no stigma whatsoever attached to speaking this way.

English needs a sy.

We have they.

[Infected Mushroom]

I'm sure you'll make a real point eventually (or maybe not)

I've made my point: your threads are all stupid. Now you make yours.

This is an attempt (probably unintentional) to derail the thread; I will not bite

[Zottistan]

Isn't "they" the default for a single person of unknown gender?

No, its currently disputed by formal academics and in many institutions, where you choose to use it, it will be frowned upon

That's peculiar and kind of dumb.

[Saint Kitten]

Using one as the replacement can sound rather clunky at times, and sound like you are constantly trying to be formal, as if you're reading someone's essay.

"(The) one is going to the park." Sounds so much worse than just "They are going to the park." They could be mistaken for multiple people, but it shouldn't be that hard to clear up in normal conversation if you were talking about one person anyways.

[Italios]

Isn't "they" the default for a single person of unknown gender?

Apparently "they" is still too gendered and needs to be thrown out and replaced with "bunself" or something.

Yeah, they is super sexist - secretly, however. If you notice, the word "he" is still hidden in it: THEY. It's another act on the patriarchal folks' part to encourage the belief that men are superior to women and therefore should be used as the default indefinite pronoun. /sarcasm

[Have Fun With It]

I'm not a huge fan of intentionally trying to be gender neutral. All it does is makes life exhausting, especially when you consider that it's usually implied to apply to the other sex equally. If I find out that I got their gender wrong, I'll make an edit. But I'm not going to do that if I say he when we're talking about a theoretical person.

[Lydenburg]

Why are English speakers so obsessed with gender pronouns and "he"/"she"?

In Afrikaans we can use "sy" in casual context to refer to a female pronoun (she, etc), a male pronoun (his), as well as a person of undetermined gender and even inanimate objects and nobody gives a monkey's. It can mean she, he, or it when we're too lazy to care. But yet there's no stigma whatsoever attached to speaking this way.

English needs a sy.

We have they.

"They" cannot refer to an individual, however, being a plural pronoun.

[The Empire of Pretantia]

I've made my point: your threads are all stupid. Now you make yours.

This is an attempt to derail the thread; I will not bite

I want attempting to derail anything. You good more to make a point, and I made it. In the meanwhile, you've yet to give a better alternative to they.

[Infected Mushroom]

No, its currently disputed by formal academics and in many institutions, where you choose to use it, it will be frowned upon

That's peculiar and kind of dumb.

It says on wikipedia

''The singular they is the use of this pronoun as a gender-neutral singular rather than as a plural pronoun. The correctness of this usage is disputed.''

Apparently, we aren't yet there in terms of the social zeitgeist

[Godular]

Apparently "they" is still too gendered and needs to be thrown out and replaced with "bunself" or something.

Yeah, they is super sexist - secretly, however. If you notice, the word "he" is still hidden in it: THEY. It's another act on the patriarchal folks' part to encourage the belief that men are superior to women and therefore should be used as the default indefinite pronoun. /sarcasm

And woman still has the word man in it! DOWN WITH THE PATRIARCHY!

[Vassenor]

We have they.

"They" cannot refer to an individual, however, being a plural pronoun.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singular_they

[The Empire of Pretantia]

That's peculiar and kind of dumb.

It says on wikipedia

''The singular they is the use of this pronoun as a gender-neutral singular rather than as a plural pronoun. The correctness of this usage is disputed.''

Apparently, we aren't yet there in terms of the social zeitgeist

Except we already use they. A lot.

[Infected Mushroom]

I'm not a huge fan of intentionally trying to be gender neutral. All it does is makes life exhausting, especially when you consider that it's usually implied to apply to the other sex equally. If I find out that I got their gender wrong, I'll make an edit. But I'm not going to do that if I say he when we're talking about a theoretical person.

But don't you think that use of such language unintentionally reinforces inequality and discrimination?

Also, why would it be exhausting?

[Italios]

Using one as the replacement can sound rather clunky at times, and sound like you are constantly trying to be formal, as if you're reading someone's essay.

"(The) one is going to the park." Sounds so much worse than just "They are going to the park." They could be mistaken for multiple people, but it shouldn't be that hard to clear up in normal conversation if you were talking about one person anyways.

The pronoun automatically attaches itself to the nearest previous noun so it clarifies itself:
"Where is Saint Kitten?"

"They're going to the park."

Due to the fact that saint kitten isn't plural, they wouldn't be either.

[Godular]

That's peculiar and kind of dumb.

It says on wikipedia

''The singular they is the use of this pronoun as a gender-neutral singular rather than as a plural pronoun. The correctness of this usage is disputed.''

Apparently, we aren't yet there in terms of the social zeitgeist

Languages evolve.