He/She... or the One?

[New confederate ramenia]

In certain languages, creating gender-neutral pronouns becomes nearly impossible due to the gendering. The way that everything is either masculine or feminine in these languages could be considered offensive and erasing non-binary people.

I don't see how. Unlike gender-specific pronouns, grammatical gender has basically nothing to do with the gender the first, second, or third person. eg. Beards are most prevalent amongst 'men', yet the French word for 'beard' is a feminine noun. Languages with grammatical gender don't modify the gender of a noun based on the gender of the first, second, or third person. The nouns have a fixed gender which much be memorised, and grammatically accounted for.

Grammatical gender is unrelated and irrelevant.

Some languages have gender in adjectives. A tall man would be "alto" and a tall woman would be "alta." How can we have gender-neutral pronouns and language when things like this exist?

[Nanatsu no Tsuki]

Significant other, partner, spouse, mate... we already have terms for this.

[Vorond]

Yes, that covers it. The whole SJW-motivation boils down to this.

And what's your motivation? Don't you have something more worthwhile to worry about than this thread?

No, not at this time...which is precisely why I'm here.

[Ever Victorious Iron Willed Commanders]

When referring to an organization that is targeted towards a specific gender, said pronoun should be used.

[Ifreann]

And what's your motivation? Don't you have something more worthwhile to worry about than this thread?

No, not at this time...which is precisely why I'm here.

But you feel like you can criticise other people for being here.

---

When referring to an organization that is targeted towards a specific gender, said pronoun should be used.

Example?

[Infected Mushroom]

The use of gender-specific pronouns to refer to a non-specific person, in any language, is inherently discriminatory. It doesn't matter what language this is in; the total number of available and widely-accepted gender specific pronouns in the specific language is irrelevant. The only thing that is relevant is... 1. Are we talking about a non-specific person here? 2. Are we using a gender-specific pronoun (probably male)?

If so... we have a problem. The language is irrelevant. In other situations, there could also be problems (for example, if the pronoun we are using is imprecise or dehumanising).

There are languages where EVERYTHING is gendered. What do you do?

Change them, what else?

[New confederate ramenia]

There are languages where EVERYTHING is gendered. What do you do?

Change them, what else?

How?

[Conscentia]

I don't see how. Unlike gender-specific pronouns, grammatical gender has basically nothing to do with the gender the first, second, or third person. eg. Beards are most prevalent amongst 'men', yet the French word for 'beard' is a feminine noun. Languages with grammatical gender don't modify the gender of a noun based on the gender of the first, second, or third person. The nouns have a fixed gender which much be memorised, and grammatically accounted for.
Grammatical gender is unrelated and irrelevant.

Some languages have gender in adjectives. A tall man would be "alto" and a tall woman would be "alta." How can we have gender-neutral pronouns and language when things like this exist?

A new convention for gender-neutrality would have to be promoted if you would like to promote gender neutrality amongst such languages. Before you dismiss it as preposterous, English used to have grammatical gender and lost it. Change is possible.

This discussion is clearly specifically about pronouns in English. So why bring it up anyway?

[Infected Mushroom]

Change them, what else?

How?

add a gender neutral pronoun (one that isn't confused with plural use and one that isn't dehumanising), and mandate that it be used instead of the traditional sexist pronouns

we can change each and every language as much as necessary

remember, people today speak very differently than how they did years ago; languages change, they are not fixed in stone and they are not sacred

[Vorond]

No, not at this time...which is precisely why I'm here.

But you feel like you can criticise other people for being here.

I only criticize them for actually arguing the SJW-line. Which is retarded.

[New confederate ramenia]

How?

add a gender neutral pronoun (one that isn't confused with plural use and one that isn't dehumanising), and mandate that it be used instead of the traditional sexist pronouns

we can change each and every language as much as necessary

remember, people today speak very differently than how they did years ago; languages change, they are not fixed in stone and they are not sacred

That actually is possible, if you can change how everyone speaks. I wouldn't be opposed to that, but it just seems like it wouldn't have any real reward.

Some languages have gender in adjectives. A tall man would be "alto" and a tall woman would be "alta." How can we have gender-neutral pronouns and language when things like this exist?

A new convention for gender-neutrality would have to be promoted if you would like to promote gender neutrality amongst such languages. Before you dismiss it as preposterous, English used to have grammatical gender and lost it. Change is possible.

This discussion is clearly specifically about English. So why bring it up anyway?

It could easily be extended into other languages.

[Conscentia]

It could easily be extended into other languages.

Irrelevant. Please keep on topic.

[Cetacea]

As one's native language is one of those languages that does not mark for gender one does not have the biases inherent in those languages of thine that do, nonetheless one does not see the purpose of inventing new terminologies for English and one for one would not be adapting the usage of one for the third person neuter form. If a person wishes to maintain neutrality as per gender then one should not be using one which is most appropriate as reference to the first person singular but they should instead be encouraged to utilize the singular they

[Conscentia]

add a gender neutral pronoun (one that isn't confused with plural use and one that isn't dehumanising), and mandate that it be used instead of the traditional sexist pronouns
we can change each and every language as much as necessary
remember, people today speak very differently than how they did years ago; languages change, they are not fixed in stone and they are not sacred

That actually is possible, if you can change how everyone speaks. I wouldn't be opposed to that, but it just seems like it wouldn't have any real reward.

It has been argued that language is not only a product of culture, but can shape it by having an influence on how one thinks. The reward would be to alter how people think.

[Conscentia]

As one's native language is one of those languages that does not mark for gender one does not have the biases inherent in those languages of thine that do, nonetheless one does not see the purpose of inventing new terminologies for English and one for one would not be adapting the usage of one for the third person neuter form. If a person wishes to maintain neutrality as per gender then one should not be using one which is most appropriate as reference to the first person singular but they should instead be encouraged to utilize the singular they

Singular 'they' is by far the most practical option. No invented pronoun meant to fulfil this function has ever had close to the popularity of the singular 'they', and there is precedent in English literature for the singular 'they'. IIRC, Shakespeare and Jane Austen used it. As I said earlier in the thread, there is also a precedent in English for plural pronouns to supplant singular pronouns - 'you' was once exclusively plural (with 'thou/thee' being the singular) and now serves as both plural and singular.

[The Two Jerseys]

How?

add a gender neutral pronoun (one that isn't confused with plural use and one that isn't dehumanising), and mandate that it be used instead of the traditional sexist pronouns

we can change each and every language as much as necessary

remember, people today speak very differently than how they did years ago; languages change, they are not fixed in stone and they are not sacred

Or much more likely, the regulating bodies for those languages will see this as a corrupting foreign influence and stamp it out in order to preserve the purity of their language.

[Infected Mushroom]

add a gender neutral pronoun (one that isn't confused with plural use and one that isn't dehumanising), and mandate that it be used instead of the traditional sexist pronouns

we can change each and every language as much as necessary

remember, people today speak very differently than how they did years ago; languages change, they are not fixed in stone and they are not sacred

Or much more likely, the regulating bodies for those languages will see this as a corrupting foreign influence and stamp it out in order to preserve the purity of their language.

It wouldn't be the first time Tradition and humankind's parochial tendencies has stood in the way of Progress

[The Alexanderians]

Or much more likely, the regulating bodies for those languages will see this as a corrupting foreign influence and stamp it out in order to preserve the purity of their language.

It wouldn't be the first time Tradition and humankind's parochial tendencies has stood in the way of Progress

Thankfully it stands in the way of useless and inane actions too so *shrugs*

[Kanaria]

1. Is the use of the word ''He'' in writing and parlance when referring to a non-specific person discriminatory and problematic?
It inspires an attitude of excluding the non-male in the minds of people. I'm not sure it's exactly discriminatory, but it is problematic.
2. Is the use of the word He/She in its place SUFFICIENT to get rid of the problematic issues? Or does it create more problems than it solves (for instance reinforcing gender binaries)?
It reminds us that there's more than dudes at stake in the talk, while remaining restricted to the gender binary.
Stylistically I find it awkward and annoying.
3. Should a new pronoun be introduced?
No. We can always syncretize our pronouns by grammatical number.

Or much more likely, the regulating bodies for those languages will see this as a corrupting foreign influence and stamp it out in order to preserve the purity of their language.

It wouldn't be the first time Tradition and humankind's parochial tendencies has stood in the way of Progress

Japan had a reform of its' syllabaries only because the US was in town to reorder their society to make them less prone to launching wars of conquest for TENNO HEIKA.

[The Two Jerseys]

Or much more likely, the regulating bodies for those languages will see this as a corrupting foreign influence and stamp it out in order to preserve the purity of their language.

It wouldn't be the first time Tradition and humankind's parochial tendencies has stood in the way of Progress

Or maybe the people who regulate the languages where every noun has a gender don't feel like rewriting the entire goddamn dictionary.

[The Alexanderians]

It wouldn't be the first time Tradition and humankind's parochial tendencies has stood in the way of Progress

Or maybe the people who regulate the languages where every noun has a gender don't feel like rewriting the entire goddamn dictionary.

French would be absolutely neutered and f***ed if we were to do that to it. I imagine other languages too

[Ifreann]

But you feel like you can criticise other people for being here.

I only criticize them for actually arguing the SJW-line. Which is retarded.

In point of fact what you said was "This is ridiculous, don't you have something more worthwhile to worry about?"

[Infected Mushroom]

It wouldn't be the first time Tradition and humankind's parochial tendencies has stood in the way of Progress

Or maybe the people who regulate the languages where every noun has a gender don't feel like rewriting the entire goddamn dictionary.

rewriting the entire dictionary wouldn't be necessary (not every word in every dictionary will have gender issues, though many might), either way... that would be someone else's job (not the regulators themselves); you can rest assured

[The Ben Boys]

The modern world has gotten along with he/she pretty well. If certain people really want to be described as gender neutral, then fine, I'll respect that. If they force me, either socially or legally, then screw that, I'll call you a platypus if I want to.

Mature.

Thank you.

[The Two Jerseys]

Or maybe the people who regulate the languages where every noun has a gender don't feel like rewriting the entire goddamn dictionary.

rewriting the entire dictionary wouldn't be necessary (not every word in every dictionary will have gender issues, though many might), either way... that would be someone else's job (not the regulators themselves); you can rest assured

You have no idea how languages other than English work, do you?