A letter with regards to explaining one's use of pronouns

[the_fantastic_ms_fox]

Here's another way of encapsulating my earlier point:

To use English to refer to singular humans in the gender-neutral requires either neologism or breaking grammatical rules. But why? School systems teach us English in such a way as to support some classes, ethicities and genders over others. For gender, this includes eliminating the singular "they," and designating "he" as the universal singular. Our language has already had its grammar and lexicon fucked with, but because we grew up with this, we see it as normal. We are taught that deviations are improper, or too new to use ("ze" is too weird, so people don't use it, so it's still new, so people think it's weird, repeat - but if you start using it, it starts sounding normal).

I'm not suggesting a particular pronoun, but a way of couching your choice and explanation thereof.

Comments

[baglieg.livejournal.com]

The only grammatical rule that singular they breaks is "do not use singular they".

It's been suggested that it "breaks the rules" because it does not follow the same pattern as the singular pronouns he, she and it; however, singular they follows the exact same pattern as singular you. The law of English grammar which singular they breaks was abandoned around 1700-ish AD when singular you replaced thou (singular they has also been in use about that long).

[plaidalicious.livejournal.com]

I believe the singular thou is used as an intimate form of the language, along with thee and thine, and denotes a strong emotional attachment as well.

I use the singular they with some, I have used ze, but then I have to explain it too often. That's the primary reason I don't use it outside my lovely counterculture friends.