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>Grammar in language can act like registers in a CPU: it allows you to use simple pronouns like 'he', 'she', 'they', 'we', 'it' to quickly refer to previously i

>Grammar in language can act like registers in a CPU: it allows you to use simple pronouns like 'he', 'she', 'they', 'we', 'it' to quickly refer to previously introduced entities. What if your language has dozens or even potentially unlimited number pronouns like xe/xim, ye/yim, kitten/kittenself, etc.? And you're expected to memorize the preferred pronouns for every person you've ever met, even if those pronouns are unique to that person?

eru 3y ago
Those are not pronouns in the grammatical sense, then. They are just a second set of names.
- midoridensha 3y ago
  Yeah, that's what I thought too, but apparently a lot of young English speakers these days disagree.
  - eru 3y ago
    Well, they are something they call 'pronouns'. Words shift in meaning. Just like many people these days insist on using 'you' in the singular, even when perfectly adequate 'thou' already exists.
kaba0 3y ago
That’s not done seriously by anyone and would end up a list instead of a hash function with O(n) vs O(1) asymptotic access. (Preferred pronouns are completely valid in that if someone were to transition to the other gender, let’s respect that. Kitten, though, is no gender)
- midoridensha 3y ago
  >(Preferred pronouns are completely valid in that if someone were to transition to the other gender, let’s respect that. Kitten, though, is no gender) If by "preferred pronouns", you mean switching from he/him to she/her or vice-versa, that's a different issue altogether: that isn't a language issue at all, because it's not introducing new words or grammar. That's purely a social issue. (Personally I have no problem with it.) What I'm getting at is people making up countless new "pronouns" that everyone is supposed to magically remember somehow. It defeats the entire point of having pronouns in a language; you might as well just use proper names constantly.
  - pezezin 3y ago
    Japanese is notorious for not having a fixed set of pronouns, and in many cases people just refer to each other (and to themselves) by their proper names.
    - midoridensha 3y ago
      Huh? Japanese certainly does have regular pronouns: "he" is "kare", "she" is "kanojo", "them" is "karera". People refer to themselves as "watashi" (more formal), "boku" (informal, usually men), and "ore" (very informal). People referring to each other with proper names is done with last names, and in formal settings; it's no different than referring to your boss as "Mr. Jones" (though modern Americans just aren't that formal any more, but they were decades ago). I've never heard of anyone in normal speech referring to themselves by their own name.

eru 3y ago

Those are not pronouns in the grammatical sense, then. They are just a second set of names.

midoridensha 3y ago
Yeah, that's what I thought too, but apparently a lot of young English speakers these days disagree.
- eru 3y ago
  Well, they are something they call 'pronouns'. Words shift in meaning. Just like many people these days insist on using 'you' in the singular, even when perfectly adequate 'thou' already exists.

kaba0 3y ago

That’s not done seriously by anyone and would end up a list instead of a hash function with O(n) vs O(1) asymptotic access. (Preferred pronouns are completely valid in that if someone were to transition to the other gender, let’s respect that. Kitten, though, is no gender)

midoridensha 3y ago
>(Preferred pronouns are completely valid in that if someone were to transition to the other gender, let’s respect that. Kitten, though, is no gender) If by "preferred pronouns", you mean switching from he/him to she/her or vice-versa, that's a different issue altogether: that isn't a language issue at all, because it's not introducing new words or grammar. That's purely a social issue. (Personally I have no problem with it.) What I'm getting at is people making up countless new "pronouns" that everyone is supposed to magically remember somehow. It defeats the entire point of having pronouns in a language; you might as well just use proper names constantly.
- pezezin 3y ago
  Japanese is notorious for not having a fixed set of pronouns, and in many cases people just refer to each other (and to themselves) by their proper names.
  - midoridensha 3y ago
    Huh? Japanese certainly does have regular pronouns: "he" is "kare", "she" is "kanojo", "them" is "karera". People refer to themselves as "watashi" (more formal), "boku" (informal, usually men), and "ore" (very informal). People referring to each other with proper names is done with last names, and in formal settings; it's no different than referring to your boss as "Mr. Jones" (though modern Americans just aren't that formal any more, but they were decades ago). I've never heard of anyone in normal speech referring to themselves by their own name.