Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site deepthot.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!deepthot!julian
From: julian@deepthot.UUCP (Julian Davies)
Newsgroups: net.nlang
Subject: Re: Replacement for he/she
Message-ID: <145@deepthot.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 7-Feb-84 16:11:36 EST
Article-I.D.: deepthot.145
Posted: Tue Feb  7 16:11:36 1984
Date-Received: Fri, 10-Feb-84 01:17:55 EST
References: <3800@gatech.UUCP>
Organization: UWO CS, London Canada
Lines: 17

This is definitely a controversial one.  Personally I like to
have the option of using "they" in a singular sense, sparingly.
I don't feel that any important confusion over singular/plural
distinctions results.
   However, last year I was editing text, Organization and
Procedures description for a religious body, with a view to
removing 'sexist' language while keeping a decent style.
My suggestion that we have the flexibility to use "they" in the
singular sense was objected to by someone who felt that the
words "they" and "them" have an intrinsic depersonalizing and
distancing aura (to use my own words for his point).  It was
decided not to use "them" etc.   I still use it in my own
writing at times.   Nearly all the time, a sentence can be
reorganised to avoid needing to use a sex-linked pronoun,
but not always neatly.
			Julian Davies
			...!utzoo!uwo!julian