It's also okay to use "he" as a generic pronoun, as even a cursory glance at the English literary corpus from Beowulf onward would tell you. In fact, this is what all Indo-European languages do since times immemorial. Unlike with "they", which sometimes creates confusion and stunts the transfer of information, and can potentially make you think the person referred to has schizophrenia or⁄and tapeworms, the only thing you risk when using "he" as unmarked pronoun is offending ContraPoints.
But seriously, don't those people realise that addressing "non-binary" feefees as the reason to use singular "they" undermines their filthy prescriptivist agenda?
Yep, "they" as a singular pronoun is indeed attested very early, English pronouns kinda have the tendency to get messed up - this is how English ended with the originally plural "you" entirely displacing "thou"; this is not something bad, language "evolution" is always chaotic and unpredictable, like everything that involves human factors. But "they" as a singular unmarked pronoun was always marginal in usage (that doesn't mean "incorrect" or "bad", of course), aside of several local dialects where it was the norm, and it started to gain prominence a couple of years ago through people engaged in ideological shenanigans actively forcing it on the internet. Much like "y'all".
Woketards culturally appropriating "y'all" from Southerners makes me very sad because now I can't say "y'all" online anymore without branding myself as one
I'd say keep on using it and don't pay attention to them; this trend will inevitably become "problematic" in the long term (everything does), so they'll switch to something else.
But "they" as a singular unmarked pronoun was always marginal in usage[...].
Not really true; the singular they was historically used pretty frequently in an interchangeable manner with the gender-neutral he, becoming marginal later on as prescriptivist 18-19th century grammarians preferred the usage of the gender-neutral he.
I use "they" all the time when talking about people whom I don't know very well- even if I know their gender.
But I don't do this because of some political shit lmao, I do it because most other languages (including mine) treat plural pronouns as a sign of respect, and I gotta respect people I don't know very well.
So I'm kinda afraid some virgin retard who cares about this shit will start berating me for being an es jey doubleyou, or some feminist retard will compliment me on my progressiveness when that wasn't my intention to begin with.
wow an actual effort post. I as a native speaker find it weird to refer to someone as "they" because of some gender stuff. Thankfully we have "you" when we are talking directly to someone, but if you speak about someone else then yeah, its usually he or she. I never used they tho to refer to singular person.
I think it may be a regional thing. I've met people who say "they" is fine (and I'm pretty confident they weren't saying so to be progressive or whatever), but I know that the folks who do the SATs don't accept any of that singular they crap.
The benefit is people remembering they exist. Google defines words in the search results these days, so dictionary.com is probably starving for clicks, and will take whatever they can get.
They as a singular has unironically historically been used as a singular pronoun,normally for subjects of indeterminate gender or to show respect. It's only recently it's interchangeability with he has become a political issue.
48 comments
1 SnapshillBot 2018-12-31
homosexuals reproduce by raping kids
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1 CantWakeUpJPG 2018-12-31
Snappy bringing the truth-bombs.
1 Ed_ButteredToast 2018-12-31
I feel bad for comedians in current year. Also, lol @ this tweet from Dictionary.com https://twitter.com/dictionarycom/status/1049803028830871554
1 Ed_ButteredToast 2018-12-31
I feel bad for comedians in current year. Also, lol @ this tweet
1 agenderphobe 2018-12-31
>feeling bad for (((Hollywood))) joke-tellers
1 Ed_ButteredToast 2018-12-31
It's over for feel-cels
1 ironicshitpostr 2018-12-31
Glad to see you're starting to understand the Noble Truths
1 lajnovoz 2018-12-31
It's also okay to use "he" as a generic pronoun, as even a cursory glance at the English literary corpus from Beowulf onward would tell you. In fact, this is what all Indo-European languages do since times immemorial. Unlike with "they", which sometimes creates confusion and stunts the transfer of information, and can potentially make you think the person referred to has schizophrenia or⁄and tapeworms, the only thing you risk when using "he" as unmarked pronoun is offending ContraPoints.
But seriously, don't those people realise that addressing "non-binary" feefees as the reason to use singular "they" undermines their filthy prescriptivist agenda?
1 MasterLawlzism 2018-12-31
smh
1 SageKnows 2018-12-31
But he is oppressive and myh patriarchy and privileges
1 binenut 2018-12-31
Yes, that's the good parts version of why you would want to.
1 Neon_needles 2018-12-31
🤔
🤔
How progressive. Hey, side note, how many rapes are done in a day over there when not shitting in the street?
1 nanonan 2018-12-31
They'd tell you, but they were eaten by a tiger of indeterminate gender.
1 kittendispenser 2018-12-31
It's over for Ganges Deltacels
1 hexbong 2018-12-31
It's really over for street-shitter-cells
1 automatic_cluck 2018-12-31
It ain't rape cuz it's not in the law.
1 d4ddyd54m4 2018-12-31
1 chunk_o 2018-12-31
That is true but not because of faggots
1 lajnovoz 2018-12-31
Yep, "they" as a singular pronoun is indeed attested very early, English pronouns kinda have the tendency to get messed up - this is how English ended with the originally plural "you" entirely displacing "thou"; this is not something bad, language "evolution" is always chaotic and unpredictable, like everything that involves human factors. But "they" as a singular unmarked pronoun was always marginal in usage (that doesn't mean "incorrect" or "bad", of course), aside of several local dialects where it was the norm, and it started to gain prominence a couple of years ago through people engaged in ideological shenanigans actively forcing it on the internet. Much like "y'all".
1 chunk_o 2018-12-31
i don’t care shuttup lol
1 lajnovoz 2018-12-31
ok man pls no bully tho 😐
1 sadderreborn 2018-12-31
What are u a linquist autist?
1 lajnovoz 2018-12-31
Sorta. I usually contain my autism but I'm drnk as fuck right now.
1 sadderreborn 2018-12-31
Is ok bb have a good time 🤗🤗🤗
1 omegaclap 2018-12-31
Woketards culturally appropriating "y'all" from Southerners makes me very sad because now I can't say "y'all" online anymore without branding myself as one
1 lajnovoz 2018-12-31
I'd say keep on using it and don't pay attention to them; this trend will inevitably become "problematic" in the long term (everything does), so they'll switch to something else.
1 LaptopEnforcer 2018-12-31
Yep. Perfectly normal part of my speech that i have to cut out online not to look mentally retarded.
1 somewhatsacred 2018-12-31
Not really true; the singular they was historically used pretty frequently in an interchangeable manner with the gender-neutral he, becoming marginal later on as prescriptivist 18-19th century grammarians preferred the usage of the gender-neutral he.
1 JustStopDude 2018-12-31
Well this is at least better than trying to force LatinX slang onto Spanish speakers...
1 sadderreborn 2018-12-31
DIOS MIO!!! TU ARE NOW LISTENZINGG TO LA RAZA LA RAZA on uno y cero y tres!!
1 KingWayneX 2018-12-31
1 sadderreborn 2018-12-31
Reading public twitter makes me realize how stupid a plurality of the people are.
Divine absolute monarchies when?
1 SanityAssassins 2018-12-31
The dictionary is virtue signaling now. 2019 is going to be amazing.
1 [deleted] 2018-12-31
[removed]
1 SageKnows 2018-12-31
Oh yes yes yes
1 SkipperPauline 2018-12-31
"Vegan(ish)" why are these fuckers incapable of ever actually living by their own moronic ideals. They fuck up being a cunt they are that retarded.
1 froibo 2018-12-31
I'm only using singular they in this sub now and it's gunna be great.
1 mattakasturty 2018-12-31
Bunch of pussies. Didn't even have the balls to @ him.
1 Dingus_Kahn 2018-12-31
Twitter has somehow found a way to produce the worst case of confirmation bias that I have ever seen.
It is mind-boggling that a website exists that is so putrid as to create such moronic individuals.
1 SageKnows 2018-12-31
The 200 word limit means that autism is in a concentrate form. Its like autism-juice if you may.
1 ElonMuskar 2018-12-31
I use "they" all the time when talking about people whom I don't know very well- even if I know their gender.
But I don't do this because of some political shit lmao, I do it because most other languages (including mine) treat plural pronouns as a sign of respect, and I gotta respect people I don't know very well.
So I'm kinda afraid some virgin retard who cares about this shit will start berating me for being an es jey doubleyou, or some feminist retard will compliment me on my progressiveness when that wasn't my intention to begin with.
1 SageKnows 2018-12-31
wow an actual effort post. I as a native speaker find it weird to refer to someone as "they" because of some gender stuff. Thankfully we have "you" when we are talking directly to someone, but if you speak about someone else then yeah, its usually he or she. I never used they tho to refer to singular person.
1 ElonMuskar 2018-12-31
I think it may be a regional thing. I've met people who say "they" is fine (and I'm pretty confident they weren't saying so to be progressive or whatever), but I know that the folks who do the SATs don't accept any of that singular they crap.
Or maybe I'm just full of shit, who knows.
1 Phantom_Engineer 2018-12-31
Don't listen to them, they don't know what they're talking about.
1 Stopwatch064 2018-12-31
Why the fuck does Dictionary.com need to get involved in this shit? What could they possibly gain from this?
1 ThickSantorum 2018-12-31
The benefit is people remembering they exist. Google defines words in the search results these days, so dictionary.com is probably starving for clicks, and will take whatever they can get.
1 2odastream 2018-12-31
LouREE CK.
1 somewhatsacred 2018-12-31
They as a singular has unironically historically been used as a singular pronoun,normally for subjects of indeterminate gender or to show respect. It's only recently it's interchangeability with he has become a political issue.