Learning French it just seemed normal to use singular they
Vous
Vous is the 2nd person plural pronoun. Only for when you're speaking directly to someone, which isn't gendered anyway (2nd person singular pronoun is Tu).
French doesn't have a gender neutral 3rd person pronoun. It's il or elle. Which is unfortunate. There have been attempts to create a gender neutral 3rd person pronoun but none have really taken off. Most French non-binary people who prefer gender neutral pronouns in English will use the pronoun in French that most closely align with their presentation. Il for mascs, elle for femmes. I'm hopeful for this to change honestly.
Fun fact: there has been more time between the first use of singular they and today than there was between the first use of plural they and the start of the criticism of singular they
If they're here, then why am I alone 😓
But when the World needed him most, he vanished.
Tom Scott has a page of reflections and corrections for that video from a few years ago. He's a good ally but I think we all envy past Tom's optimism.
I also appreciate the thoughtfulness he showed when he found out someone he had recently collaborated with had made transphobic comments in the past.
You're never going to appease everyone, and I appreciate that he shared the thinking that led him to his decision. I just regret not finding out about the incident until like a week after I ordered her book.
Gender neutral pronouns are just so much more convenient; I tend to use them even when I know someone's gender. I do wish English had some common-use ones that were explicitly singular, though.
I believe I read somewhere that the singular for "they" used to be "thy", but that makes language sound terribly old. Doubt it'll get picked up in the mainstream
I do wish English had some common-use ones that were explicitly singular, though.
In the long run I predict that "they" will follow the same path as "you" - it'll become increasingly more associated with the singular, until it's the default interpretation. I also predict that both "they" and "you" will eventually require a pluraliser to convey the plural.
"Vos" (you, singular) in Rioplatense Spanish followed a similar path.
If that's correct, eventually there'll be explicitly singular second and third person pronouns.
Yeah, I hate "xer" and "xe"
I would totally use xe/xer if doing so wouldn't be hugely distracting from whatever topic I'm actually talking about, those words have a nice scifi vibe to them.
Totally agree. I think half the problem is that English is a stupid language at times. I have no problem with gender neutral terms but the plural nature of “they” makes my 54 yo brain hurt. I have the same issue with the word data. “The data are” sounds awkward to me.
i think its mostly an issue with not being used to it. "you" is both singular and plural as well and we manage fine. "we" is plural but it does not distinguish between inclusive and exclusive "we". arguably those cases are more rarely relevant, and honestly id prefer if all of them had solutions, but i think we can handle it once we are used to it, or solutions will develop.
btw not trying to be antagonistic here, just sharing my thoughts :3
You use singular they every single day or at most every single week and you have for your entire life and so did all of your English speaking ancestors including middle English.
'how far out is the pizza guy's 'they're 15 minutes out'
'my coworker was a pain in the ass today' 'what they'd do this time?'
'i think my doctor is famous' 'oh what's their name?'
They was singular before it was plural, and it's singular use is still one of the most common pronouns in English.
Tom Scott is so jacked in that video!
Anybody check in on Germany's latest attempts?
