How difficult would it be to introduce pronouns into the english language that are not gender specific?
According to linguist John McWhirter, all languages are in a continual state of change. An example of that would be the sentence “Everyone should bring their swimsuit.” About forty years ago that would have gotten a red underline from the English teacher, because 40 years ago you would say to a mixed group “Everyone should bring his swimsuit.” This was not intended to be sexist; it’s just the way languages are. (I’m proficient in seven.) Sometimes you’ll hear a teenager say to a group of her girlfriends, “Come on, guys…” The reason is because in almost all languages–Hungarian is a European exception–the masculine gender is also the common gender, used for mixed groups. In other languages, such as ancient Hebrew, there is no word for “it”. Everything is either “he” or “she.” In many European languages, all plurals are common gender, rather than masculine, even if it’s a group of men. So it’s not just prejudice. It’s a linguistic shortcut.
Related Questions
- I have to write an essay for my English class about societys gender stereotypes. What are some common stereotypes placed on either gender?
- How difficult would it be to introduce pronouns into the english language that are not gender specific?
- Why do some girls have to dress so revealingly and make it hard for guys like me to not look?
