User talk:Pholvandir
Singular "they"[edit]
Actually, according to Webster's Dictionary, "they" is indeed an acceptable singular pronoun for gender-ambiguous or -neutral situations. Just letting you know. Doc von Schmeltwick (talk) 21:49, April 29, 2021 (EDT)
Incorrect Usage[edit]
This is a subversion of the word’s meaning; “they” is plural, and any use of the word outside a plural sense is strictly improper. The reason “they” is improperly defined by Webster’s is to accommodate dangerous hyper-political correctness. English does not behold to political agendas; the opposite must be true for us to communicate properly. If we redefine our language to mold to whatever is currently considered “correct,” then we will reach a point where we cannot communicate ideas that contradict the current prevailing narrative, which will annihilate freedom of thought.
The preceding unsigned comment was added by Pholvandir (talk).
- We've done this long before that was a thing. Also, for the record, I am anti-political in general. Doc von Schmeltwick (talk) 01:54, April 30, 2021 (EDT)
- Singular "they" emerged in the 14th century, relatively soon after the plural sense (OED). Compare the word "you", also originally plural, but now singular and plural. Singular "they" has gained formal acceptance due to its useful gender-neutrality; I think undoing this to uphold one culture's gender system (some cultures have third genders, etc.) sends a more political message. Additionally, defaulting to gendered pronouns on your grounds would introduce undue assumptions about details that are not confirmed, similarly to using an unofficial name. AgentMuffin (talk) 04:00, April 30, 2021 (EDT)
