Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site topaz.ARPA Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!bellcore!decvax!genrad!teddy!panda!talcott!harvard!seismo!topaz!josh From: josh@topaz.ARPA (J Storrs Hall) Newsgroups: net.nlang,net.women Subject: Re: Gender-specific responses to s/he (their) Message-ID: <200@topaz.ARPA> Date: Wed, 9-Jan-85 16:06:51 EST Article-I.D.: topaz.200 Posted: Wed Jan 9 16:06:51 1985 Date-Received: Sat, 12-Jan-85 06:48:02 EST References: <218@cmu-cs-cad.ARPA> <299@scc.UUCP> Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J. Lines: 15 Xref: watmath net.nlang:2376 net.women:4050 >>>Try using "their" whether referring to one generic person or many persons: > > >it's easier to read than he/she or his/her, and is gender non-specific. > ... People use > "their" as a third person singualar indefinate pronoun in speech. > scc!steiny There's a precedent for the plural form of a pronoun taking over the singular--the second person, "you". One says "you are" even when speaking of (to) a single person. The original singular form "thou" has largely disappeared. --JoSH