FreshParsnip@lemmy.ca to Showerthoughts@lemmy.world · 3 days agoThe singular they is actually such a natural part of the English language, the people complaining about it almost certainly use it without noticingmessage-squaremessage-square49fedilinkarrow-up1254arrow-down19
arrow-up1245arrow-down1message-squareThe singular they is actually such a natural part of the English language, the people complaining about it almost certainly use it without noticingFreshParsnip@lemmy.ca to Showerthoughts@lemmy.world · 3 days agomessage-square49fedilink
minus-squareFishFace@piefed.sociallinkfedilinkEnglisharrow-up11arrow-down3·3 days agoTo me it’s quite unnatural to use singular they about someone whose gender I actually know.
minus-square🔍🦘🛎@lemmy.worldlinkfedilinkEnglisharrow-up18arrow-down3·3 days ago“There’s someone at the door” “what does he or she want?” -nobody
minus-squareDiddlydee@feddit.uklinkfedilinkEnglisharrow-up4arrow-down5·3 days agoYou’d realistically say ‘who is it?’
minus-square🔍🦘🛎@lemmy.worldlinkfedilinkEnglisharrow-up15·edit-22 days ago“There’s someone from the water department here” “What do they want?” If you’re going to make any statement referring to the person, using “they” is both natural and understood by anyone.
minus-squaremelfie@lemy.lollinkfedilinkarrow-up8arrow-down1·3 days agoI don’t mind using they / them for non-binary people. It’s just that it takes a lot of mental energy to not embarrass myself by forgetting and using the gendered pronoun.
minus-squareBeeegScaaawyCripple@lemmy.worldlinkfedilinkarrow-up4arrow-down2·2 days agowhat if their gender is they?
minus-squareFishFace@piefed.sociallinkfedilinkEnglisharrow-up5arrow-down2·2 days agoYes, linguistically I find that quite unnatural as well.
To me it’s quite unnatural to use singular they about someone whose gender I actually know.
“There’s someone at the door”
“what does he or she want?” -nobody
You’d realistically say ‘who is it?’
“There’s someone from the water department here”
“What do they want?”
If you’re going to make any statement referring to the person, using “they” is both natural and understood by anyone.
I don’t mind using they / them for non-binary people. It’s just that it takes a lot of mental energy to not embarrass myself by forgetting and using the gendered pronoun.
what if their gender is they?
Yes, linguistically I find that quite unnatural as well.