5 ms·
"He" as gender-neutral singular pronoun is not even vernacular -- it is standard English.
by ant5 16y ago
"He" as gender-neutral singular pronoun is not even vernacular -- it is standard English.
- seanstickle 16y agoStandard English is a construct of a society predominantly run by, and for, men. It is, in no small way, the English of Those Who Rule, which is to say, at least for a very long time, men.
- ant5 16y agoI don't disagree that standard language is dynamic and a representation of culture (and those who control it). However -- while I have heard plenty of suggestions for resolving the issue from college english professors, none of them have managed to convince the Central Board of Oppressive English to accept their proposal, and so we might just be stuck with non gender-neutral pronouns and awkward she/he constructions for the time being. 'They' might emerge as a ambiguously plural/singular gender-neutral pronoun, but in the meantime I won't berate anyone for sticking to the accepted standard.
- sliverstorm 16y agoSo? It means what it means; you can't argue that something is insulting because it would be insulting if someone else was directing the growth of the language.