http://blog.oup.com/2007/12/pronoun/ Introducing brilliant authors to the blogosphere. Sat, 21 Nov 2009 22:43:07 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 http://blog.oup.com/2007/12/pronoun/comment-page-1/#comment-138655 Peter Coogan Wed, 20 Feb 2008 18:51:36 +0000 http://blog.oup.com/2007/12/pronoun/#comment-138655 Australia and Canada appear to be moving toward acceptance of they as the epicene. http://www.justice.gc.ca/fr/dept/pub/legis/they.html Australia and Canada appear to be moving toward acceptance of they as the epicene.
http://www.justice.gc.ca/fr/dept/pub/legis/they.html

]]> http://blog.oup.com/2007/12/pronoun/comment-page-1/#comment-108589 zmjezhd Thu, 27 Dec 2007 00:16:57 +0000 http://blog.oup.com/2007/12/pronoun/#comment-108589 English is not resistant to an third person singular epicene pronoun; it has been going with singular they dating back to Chaucer's time. What's the problem? English is not resistant to an third person singular epicene pronoun; it has been going with singular they dating back to Chaucer’s time. What’s the problem?

]]> http://blog.oup.com/2007/12/pronoun/comment-page-1/#comment-106202 Charlie Fri, 21 Dec 2007 19:00:47 +0000 http://blog.oup.com/2007/12/pronoun/#comment-106202 But why? Why is a language as flexible and dynamic as English so resistant to a gender-neutral pronoun? But why? Why is a language as flexible and dynamic as English so resistant to a gender-neutral pronoun?

]]> http://blog.oup.com/2007/12/pronoun/comment-page-1/#comment-105385 Daren Young Thu, 20 Dec 2007 13:42:31 +0000 http://blog.oup.com/2007/12/pronoun/#comment-105385 "Quixotic" is only too correct. As a college writing teacher who sometimes dips a toe or two into Gender Studies, I allow my First-years to use "sie" in the nominative and "hir" in the accusative and possessive cases as epicene pronouns. Many students in each class latch onto this enthusiastically as an alternative to the ubiquitous "they/them/their." Alas, I always have to warn them that they should be prepared for either slack-jawed confusion or obstinate rejection if they use it in writing for their other classes. “Quixotic” is only too correct. As a college writing teacher who sometimes dips a toe or two into Gender Studies, I allow my First-years to use “sie” in the nominative and “hir” in the accusative and possessive cases as epicene pronouns. Many students in each class latch onto this enthusiastically as an alternative to the ubiquitous “they/them/their.” Alas, I always have to warn them that they should be prepared for either slack-jawed confusion or obstinate rejection if they use it in writing for their other classes.

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