A pronoun proposal

[petrea_mitchell]

Farhad Manjoo suggests that we solve all the debates around changing pronouns and non-binary pronouns by saying the hell with it and calling everyone "they".

Which... I don't think I have any objection to. Plenty of languages get along fine without constantly marking gender, including Japanese. About once a year in my anime commentaries I have to start referring to a character as "they" because I can't work out what their gender is.

Linguistic changes around something as basic as pronouns can be made deliberately; look, for instance, at the du-reformen in Swedish.

I feel I need to take a fairly conservative line toward use of language in my writing for Amazing Stories, meaning I wouldn't make this switch unless it becomes common usage (or if my editor decides to make it the house style), but I'll certainly keep an eye out for any signs that it's becoming commmn enough.

Comments

[kalmn]

My kids remind me about this, with people who we don't know. Maybe I'll suggest to them that we just go for they with everyone. Right now I get "THEY, mama", about six or seven times a day. (I'm improving! It used to be over 10! I'll get there!)

[petrea_mitchell]

Ah... maybe the change is already in progress, and we just need to wait another 10 years or so!

[delosharriman]

I can't be alone in my extreme hostility toward language reforms which attempt to put everyone on a plane of equality by abolishing formal or polite constructions. I am on terms of intimacy with very few people, & to be addressed in such a manner by strangers is a jarring experience. Anyone who makes free with du toward me can expect nothing good.