Madbrad200@sh.itjust.works to Shitty Food Porn@lemmy.ca · edit-22 months agoCrimes against breakfastssh.itjust.worksimagemessage-square133fedilinkarrow-up1407arrow-down118file-text
arrow-up1389arrow-down1imageCrimes against breakfastssh.itjust.worksMadbrad200@sh.itjust.works to Shitty Food Porn@lemmy.ca · edit-22 months agomessage-square133fedilinkfile-text
minus-square𝔄 𝔰𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔦𝔢𝔫𝔱 𝔭𝔦𝔢𝔠𝔢 𝔬𝔣 𝔠𝔥𝔢𝔢𝔰𝔢@lemmy.worldlinkfedilinkarrow-up23arrow-down1·2 months ago“They” can be used as a gender non-specific pronoun.
minus-squarecourval@lemmy.worldlinkfedilinkarrow-up9arrow-down6·2 months agoThis is quite confusing at least for a non native like me… I’ve always been told ‘they’ is plural… It’s feels a bit like when megalomaniac people refer to themselves as we. Why not make a new pronoun if no other suitable singular exists?
minus-squareAlligatorBlizzard@sh.itjust.workslinkfedilinkarrow-up17·2 months agoBecause English got simplified at various points in history. We’ve lost thee and thou and thy. As awkward as singular they might seem, it’s so old that Shakespeare used it.
minus-squareHonytawk@lemmy.ziplinkfedilinkEnglisharrow-up8·2 months agoTime to improve and learn the real definition then.
minus-squarebrisk@aussie.zonelinkfedilinkarrow-up5·2 months agoIf it helps to relate it to something else, “you” also has plural grammar but can refer to a singular.
minus-squareembed_me@programming.devlinkfedilinkarrow-up3arrow-down3·2 months agoAlthough in this case it could be either singular or plural
“They” can be used as a gender non-specific pronoun.
This is quite confusing at least for a non native like me… I’ve always been told ‘they’ is plural… It’s feels a bit like when megalomaniac people refer to themselves as we. Why not make a new pronoun if no other suitable singular exists?
Because English got simplified at various points in history. We’ve lost thee and thou and thy.
As awkward as singular they might seem, it’s so old that Shakespeare used it.
Well, now you know better.
Time to improve and learn the real definition then.
If it helps to relate it to something else, “you” also has plural grammar but can refer to a singular.
Although in this case it could be either singular or plural