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Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!lanl!unm-cvax!cs4911ay
From: cs4911ay@unm-cvax.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.nlang
Subject: Re: natural language deficiencies?
Message-ID: <66@unm-cvax.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 3-Nov-84 16:59:51 EST
Article-I.D.: unm-cvax.66
Posted: Sat Nov  3 16:59:51 1984
Date-Received: Thu, 8-Nov-84 20:10:28 EST
Distribution: net
Organization: Univ. of New Mexico, Albuquerque
Lines: 44

[It is pitch black.  You are likely to be eaten by a -- ]

> From: chuck@dartvax.UUCP (Chuck Simmons)

> Fill in the following blanks with the appropriate english gender-neutral
> word or phrase:

>     The President and _____ cabinet convened yesterday.

>     A person is guilty of disorderly conduct if _____ makes loud or
>     unreasonable noises.

> -- Chuck
> dartvax!chuck


	Well, we can try:

	The President and THE cabinet convened yesterday. (Of course, this
avoids the point somewhat.  Use HIS for now.  We'll worry about it when we
get a female president.)

	ONE is guilty of disorderly conduct if ONE makes loud or unreasonable
noises.  (If one is going to bother with gender-neutrality, one should at
least try to phrase the statement to take advantage of the facilities 
available in English.)

	Those of us who don't bother with gender-neutrality will continue 
	to use the usual English solutions to the problems, e.g.:

	A person is guilty of disorderly conduct if HE makes loud or
unreasonable noises.

	So there.


-- 


						Mike Conley
						U.N.M., Albuquerque, NM


	"Think of it as evolution in action."