FreshParsnip@lemmy.ca to Showerthoughts@lemmy.world · 1 day agoThe singular they is actually such a natural part of the English language, the people complaining about it almost certainly use it without noticingmessage-squaremessage-square43fedilinkarrow-up1216arrow-down18
arrow-up1208arrow-down1message-squareThe singular they is actually such a natural part of the English language, the people complaining about it almost certainly use it without noticingFreshParsnip@lemmy.ca to Showerthoughts@lemmy.world · 1 day agomessage-square43fedilink
minus-squareFishFace@piefed.sociallinkfedilinkEnglisharrow-up9arrow-down1·12 hours agoTo me it’s quite unnatural to use singular they about someone whose gender I actually know.
minus-squareBeeegScaaawyCripple@lemmy.worldlinkfedilinkarrow-up2arrow-down1·4 hours agowhat if their gender is they?
minus-squareFishFace@piefed.sociallinkfedilinkEnglisharrow-up3·2 hours agoYes, linguistically I find that quite unnatural as well.
minus-square🔍🦘🛎@lemmy.worldlinkfedilinkEnglisharrow-up10arrow-down2·9 hours ago“There’s someone at the door” “what does he or she want?” -nobody
minus-squareDiddlydee@feddit.uklinkfedilinkEnglisharrow-up3·5 hours agoYou’d realistically say ‘who is it?’
minus-square🔍🦘🛎@lemmy.worldlinkfedilinkEnglisharrow-up4·edit-23 hours ago“There’s someone from the water department here” “What do they want?” If you’re going to make any statement referring to the person, using “they” is both natural and understood by anyone.
minus-squaremelfie@lemy.lollinkfedilinkarrow-up7·12 hours agoI don’t mind using they / them for non-binary people. It’s just that it takes a lot of mental energy to not embarrass myself by forgetting and using the gendered pronoun.
To me it’s quite unnatural to use singular they about someone whose gender I actually know.
what if their gender is they?
Yes, linguistically I find that quite unnatural as well.
“There’s someone at the door”
“what does he or she want?” -nobody
You’d realistically say ‘who is it?’
“There’s someone from the water department here”
“What do they want?”
If you’re going to make any statement referring to the person, using “they” is both natural and understood by anyone.
I don’t mind using they / them for non-binary people. It’s just that it takes a lot of mental energy to not embarrass myself by forgetting and using the gendered pronoun.