this post was submitted on 11 Nov 2023
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"But it's not proper English grammar!"
It's not? Shakespeare used it and last I heard that dude had a pretty good command of the English language.
"But it's not how it was used traditionally!"
So what? What is a human language if not fluid and constantly evolving? Language should reflect culture and social ideals, and our culture is rapidly shifting toward things like gender inclusively and social justice. When was the last time you used Æ or Þ?
Anyone saying that "they" isn't grammatically proper needs to answer for why they don't use "thou" and instead use the plural "you."
I strongly advocate for the revival of thou! Thou shalt yield.
Was watching a news report about a trans person and the reporter was trying her best to use "they", but got visibly confused when someone said "Their family found out that they were going to die"
Just a little example of how "they" is not always a replacement
Tbh it's kina confusing if you're not a native english speaker. Also makes it hard to differentiate between singular and plural. Dunno if it's an upgrade in that way. I mean can't there just be a new word for it?
"You" is also plural and has the same problems, but no one complains about if for some reason.