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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
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Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J.
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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