this post was submitted on 24 Jul 2023
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ALT TEXT:

  • Panel 1: A person with the text "Singular 'they'" written on them smiling with open arms.
  • Panel 2: "Singular 'They'" beaten up by others who said, "Singular they is ungrammatical. It's too confusing," "How can anyone use plural pronouns for singular," and "Every pronoun should only have one purpose."
  • Panel 3: "You" hiding from the mob who was beating "Singular 'They'"
  • Panel 4: "German 'Sie'" hiding with even more fear next to "You"
(page 2) 50 comments
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[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 years ago (6 children)

Isn't "You" always singular? The words it's accompanied by make the overall statement plural. Like "you guys" or "you all". My brain might be slow this morning, but I can't think of any instance where it's plural without an accompanying word.

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 years ago (2 children)

What is the singular reflexive form of "they"? "Themselves" sounds too plural. "Themself" is inventing a new word, which is not problematic, but if we're going to invent new words we may as well start using "ve" or "ze" as gender neutral pronouns.

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 years ago

In portuguese, nearly everything has a gender. Você (You) is one of the few exceptions, but for "they" we have either eles (male) or elas (female), which will depend on what is being referred to. IE: they, the athletes = eles, os atletas (male), OR elas, as atletas (female).

Another example: the group = o grupo; it (the group) = ele (o grupo). Doesn't matter what makes the group, "the group" is "male".

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 years ago

Their little butt, tho! 🥺

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 years ago

laughs in 1st person plural exclusive

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