🔄From the archive: 🤯 Did you know people have been using 'they/them' as singular pronouns for centuries? Discover the fascinating history behind this linguistic phenomenon. language history pronouns 📚🔍
1981 paper
, says that “nobody really latched on to any one." But, he adds, “they said, ‘Yeah, there’s a need here.’ ” The solution, in his opinion, is already on the tip of our collective tongue. Singular “they,” as a word we use every day, may be the most viable option. Bradley agrees, saying that in language, “we tend to recycle things rather than create new things.”
In its more familiar variations, “they” is already a widespread feature of colloquial conversation and writing. And even in its least traditional form — to refer to a specific, nonbinary person — research shows that people, and especially the younger generations, areKirby Conrod, a linguistics professor at the University of Washington whose own personal pronouns are they/them, polls students each semester to assess their feelings about this specific usage of the word.
Essentially, exposure and motivation to change your speech are the greatest predictors of acceptance for specific singular “they,” Bradley says: “Not everyone’s walking around with the same grammar in their head, and we can correlate that a bit with people’s attitudes.” Some believe opposition to singular “they” has always, or at least often, been ideological. Genuine grammatical qualms may play a role, but Baron cautions that “linguistic analysis is not free from prejudice.”
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Charles’ ‘Homage of the People’ Idea Bombs With the PeopleKing Charles’ “homage of the people” involves the populace bellowing their “true allegiance” to the monarch from their sofas, with the text scrolling on the screen. Unfortunately, it seems no one thought to check with the people first.
Read more »
‘Vampire straw’ confiscated from airline passenger, leading to arrestWhile it can be used to slurp up smoothies, the vampire straw can also be used as a self-defense weapon since it can be used like a dagger.
Read more »
Maserati GranSport | PH Used Buying GuideConvinced the era of cheap V8-powered sports cars has passed? Think again 👇
Read more »
Why This Rolex Is Worth More Used Than NewWhy are some consumers willing to spend more for a used watch than for a new version of the same model? WSJ’s Jacob Gallagher explains why the secondary market
Read more »