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VVraith — It does.
Published: 2012-08-10 01:15:50 +0000 UTC; Views: 1109; Favourites: 7; Downloads: 14
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Description
One of the most frustrating limitations of English is that it doesn't have this. I guess it's a throwback to when gender roles were more defined. "It" won't work because it automatically dehumanizes the antecedent, and "he or she" is awkward as hell.Funny how the internet has coined so many silly slang terms and yet no one seems to have solved this actual problem in the language.
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Comments: 10
I think that calling a person like that 'it' is kind of objectifying in some sense because to the person that's insulting them...it's like they think that person in question isn't human.
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I use "they". "He/she" makes it obvious you're tripping over the issue and it can raise offense with certain individuals. Putzing around with silly invented pronouns is awkward and overly politically correct and nobody knows what you're talking about.
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A lot of people seem to substitute "they" when talking about nonspecific person(s), but it's not the greatest solution.
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When I don't know the gender I always end up using he/she. There is they, but there are times that you can't use they. And it is more of a plural. >.>
And the people who are more in between the genders (however they are) it's akward trying to describe them with the nouns. You almost end up using it even though it is dehumanizing. I don't say that to be mean, but sometimes you just get so frustraited that there are no words when there should be.
Although, some people have tried coming up with their own. I like Ze. When I use it people don't know what I am talking about though.
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I sometimes go the Final Fantasy IX route and say s/he. Himer Might do as well. Yes, I made Himer up
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Yeah... A lot of people don't accept they, they're, and them as grammatically correct claiming them to only be used for multiple people.
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I agree, especially since I myself fall into that particular grey area (thus I tend to default towards one or the other dependong on context..)
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Totally agree. >_< I mean, I've seen "they" used for that purpose before, but that can sometimes sound strange as well.
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