Re: Origin of the word 'kivismi'

Yoon Ha Lee wrote:

>On Thu, 26 Apr 2001, Steg Belsky wrote:
>
>> Well, descriptively speaking, in many dialects now "they" is becoming the
>> default animate 3rd sg pronoun... it has even acquired a reflexive form
>> different than it's original plural:
>>
>> subject / object / reflexive
>> they ~ them ~ themselves  =  plural
>> they ~ them ~ themself  =  singular
I've heard this too; don't use it, but it makes sense and could well become
widespread.
>
>I use it that way unless I feel irritated/pedantic, in which case I use
>"he, she or it."  In academic writing I tend toward "he" unless the prof
>specifies otherwise (I'm female and almost never offended by it).
>
>I applaud the attempt at gender neutrality, but Korean *doesn't*
>distinguish *at all* between male and female in pronouns (though there
>*is* a significant male-side bias in kinhip terminology), and I don't
>know *anyone* who thinks Korea has an egalitarian society vis-a-vis
>male-female relationships.>
Same in Indonesian.  Saudara is neutral, brother or sister; kakak is 'older
bro. or sis.'  adik 'younger....' though it may _tend_ to refer to the male,
I don't remember.
anak is simply 'child'; 'son', 'daughter' require the words for male/female.
As for pronouns, you can talk for hours without even using one.  A great
freedom.
But not exactly an egalitarian society, either.

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