Re: Epicene pronoun (was: French (was: Optimum number of symbols))
| From: | Doug Dee <amateurlinguist@...> |
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| Date: | Saturday, May 25, 2002, 20:42 |
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According to the American Heritage Dictionary, singular "they" has been
around considerably longer, since about 1300.
In a message dated 5/25/2002 1:28:16 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
ray.brown@FREEUK.COM writes:
> >The only alternative with some chance of success is, of course, _they_,
> >since it is strictly speaking not a neologism at all!
>
> Not only with some chance of success - but is the normal one used in
> collquial English when pedants don't interfere. You are quite right that
> "it is strictly speaking not a neologism at all". It's been attested since
> the 19th century and is now well-entrenched.
>
> Ray.
>
>
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