On the lack of certain English pronouns

[Shut Up Legs]

Oh, please, for the love of <insert preferred deity here>, can someone please invent (and enforce) singular versions of the English third person gender-neutral pronouns? Instead of they/them/their, we should have singular pronouns in the subjective/objective/possessive cases (or nominative/accusative/genitive, if you prefer).

Right, got that off my back.

 

[Mike Ayling]

What about she, he, it?
Those who use the plural forms should be sent to re-education camps until they know better.

 

[Hover Fly]

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[Punkawallah]

What about she, he, it?
Those who use the plural forms should be sent to re-education camps until they know better.

Fur Ihre sicherheit.

 

[SteveH80]

They, them is plural and used to be used by some to describe those with multiple personalities, I still comes across as insulting when I hear or see it being used.
Surely the correct male, female, neutral in English is he, she, it?

 

[yello]

Those who use the plural forms should be sent to re-education camps until they know better

I had a lecturer at university who regularly used the female pronouns when gendre was unknown/irrelevant (i.e. where folk would use he/his etc) Crikey it was clunky to begin with, really jarred. But then I got it. Point well made.

Me, I personally use they/their in such instances now.

 

[steveindenmark]

I read a travel book recently where they used gender neutral pronouns. You do not realise that your brain goes into automatic when reading and it just flows. Gender neutral pronouns is like hitting a speed bump. They pull you up short, mid flow. I have found another reason not to like them.

 

[Ian H]

They, them and their have been used as singular pronouns for centuries. First attested in the 14th century.
No need for new ones.
"The taxi's here, shall I ask them to wait?"

 

[captain nemo1701]

Amazing all that's going on in the world and people fuss over words........

 

[winjim]

They, them and their have been used as singular pronouns for centuries. First attested in the 14th century.
No need for new ones.
"The taxi's here, shall I ask them to wait?"

See that flows nicely but the weird thing is once the gender of the taxi driver becomes known, your brain suddenly stalls at "they". It's quantum superposition but for gender and language. "They' is more gender unknown than gender neutral.

But language evolves and I am middle aged. If we decide that's how we're using the word "they" then I can retrain my brain with a bit of effort. Younger people may be more used to it and as time goes on there will be less people having such difficulties.

 

[glasgowcyclist]

Roses are red,
violets are blue,
singular they predates singular you.

 

[Electric_Andy]

"They" sounds pretty simple really, and it's usually obvious whether you're referring to "they" singular or "they" plural. No real need for a new word I don't think. "It" is dehumanising so is not and should not really be used

 

[Alex321]

They, them is plural and used to be used by some to describe those with multiple personalities, I still comes across as insulting when I hear or see it being used.
Surely the correct male, female, neutral in English is he, she, it?

"it" is FAR more insulting than "they/them" when you don't know the gender of the person you are referring to.

And "they/them" has never been solely plural in usage.

 

[markemark]

Who cares? If it's important to people then it's fine by me. If someone wants to be called they/them/he/she then as long as I remember that's what I'll do. Same if someone wants to be called Dave/David/Davy. It's up to them.

 

[Electric_Andy]

Who cares? If it's important to people then it's fine by me. If someone wants to be called they/them/he/she then as long as I remember that's what I'll do. Same if someone wants to be called Dave/David/Davy. It's up to them.

quite. I have easily remembered that a "Jennifer" at work does not like to be called "Jen", so I don't call her that. I have also found, since preferred pronouns started appearing in email signatures, that I'm using he/she far less frequently in general (not just in work or on email). I tend to just use names, or "They" if I'm not sure whether to use he or she.