Mar 16, 2009
3 pronoun options if you’re against singular they (and John McWhorter’s opinion of them)
1. he is “sexist.”
2. she sticks a “note of PC irrelevance into what I am discussing.”
3. he or she is “clumsy and clinical.”
(Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue, 66, via Language Log)
* * * * *
so…can i use the singular “they?”
I really wish you could do my Bible Exposition 101 assignment for me! It’s all about verse grammar diagramming. I’m so bad at English and it’s my native language.
I noticed the annoying #2 in David Allen’s *Getting Things Done.* Another way to describe #2 is,
2. I’m NOT sexist!! See?
I do have this problem praying for our baby, though. “It” is impersonal. “He or she” is cumbersome. Any solutions from my fellow readers?
“They”?
Danielle,
You almost certainly already do use it.
And that’s OK, unless you’re being judged by a persnickety copy editor. In which case, listen to them closely and point out all the times they do it. :)
The problem with calling “he” sexist is that you’ve only got the last 60 some odd years on your side. For a lot longer than that, “he” was used, comprehended, and approved by the academy and laymen alike.
Be wary of “chronological snobbery.”
Some questions then,
How long has “mankind” been used? Was “humankind” ever popular before politically correct got big?
Are we limited by how long English has been in use or can we use precedence from other languages?
Is precedence enough to justify our language choices or should we hold ourselves to a different standard? If so, what specific standards should be used?
I’m way better at asking questions than answering them…
[...] 3 pronoun options if you’re against singular they (and John McWhorter’s opinion of them) [...]
On the use of “he” for the rhetorical person… historical affirmation or not, sexist intentions or not, it’s safe to say that people today will often read it as sexist. Loyally sticking to historical grammar is, IMO, not worth risking the offense and misunderstanding of the readers (and as a consequence, failing to communicate the main point of the written work).
Rob,
You’re having a baby? Congratulations! That’s great!
Emily and I used the gender neutral pronoun in the Indonesian language. The word is “dia.” I personally still like to use “man-child” whenever possible though.
Abraham, you must be a genius. How do you come up with this stuff?
Anyway, is this related to the TNIV controversy which is a hot-button topic that your dad and others have weighed in on?
What about “one,” as in, “One must be careful to avoid inappropriate pronouns?” Would that solve our problem?
So we have four options, all in some way problematic. Thanks for making that clear.
In seminary I just used “He” because I did not care if I offended anyone there (perhaps I even relished it, the red marks on a paper made me smile). (my wife who proof-read my papers would not let me use “they” for singular referents)
In my Itinerant preaching I usually avoid Gender specific, using they, He/She or coming up with creative ways to avoid it altogether. Just to be on the safe side
In the church where I am pastor I use “He” because we have not caught up with the language of the rest of the English world. Thank-God :)
So glad I can use the singular they and not have to keep using the word “people” just to make everything agree!
Although now I’m so used to it, it will probably take more thought to change.
Rob,
Maybe a nickname for your unborn baby would help. My husband and I called our unborn baby “Peachie” for a long while, after learning via a weekly pregnancy e-mail that *he* (we later learned he was truly he and not she) was the size of a peach at the time. Why that name stuck, I’m not sure, but it was wonderful to have a term of endearment and not “it” to use while talking, praying, etc.
Enjoy the anticipation of your little one!
Abraham, these kinds of posts and subsequent comments make me crazy! CRAZY, i tell you! (well, maybe i already am when it comes to language – but it gets called out during times like these!)
This is one area where I think common usage trumps propriety. Lack of gender-neutral personal pronouns is a deficiency in our language.
I’m totally lost. Bad a grammar.
Nope. I’m not against singular “they” and I am so relieved that it is okay to end a sentence with a preposition.
Thon: gender neutral singular pronoun
proposed in 1884 by American lawyer Charles Crozat Converse. Reference: “Epicene”. The Mavens’ Word of the Day. Random House. 1998-08-12. http://www.randomhouse.com/wotd/index.pperl?date=19980812. Retrieved on 2006-12-20.
see also: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thon_(pronoun)
Thank God for Turkish. He, she, and it are all the same word: “O”.
It’s really wonderful not having to figure out what sex a chair is.
Hey Laurie Lynn, I think it is appropriate to say that a preposition is an okay thing to end a sentence with.
How about option 5: Alternating between he and she, at least in writing? In high school, we were presented with your three options, plus Joel’s option 4 (“one”) and this one.
In spoken language, I may have to submit to the grammatically incorrect “they.”
Melissa,
That’s my approach when preaching. Although I may begin working “Peachy” into my sermons.
Rock on w/peachie. It would keep your people on their toes.
Love the “thon” idea. Converse was so sensible.
http://parksidepedagogy.googlepages.com/thirdpersonsingular