Re: "They"

From	Bobbie Sellers <bliss-sf4ever@dslextreme.com>
Newsgroups	comp.os.linux.misc
Subject	Re: "They"
Date	2025-09-22 08:47 -0700
Organization	dis
Message-ID	<10arr2t$2f2co$1@dont-email.me> (permalink)
References	(21 earlier) <g1YzQ.195$x62b.22@fx11.iad> <mjbf2bFilmsU2@mid.individual.net> <wM1AQ.3610$9qgd.1407@fx12.iad> <mjcdr6Fo0aiU1@mid.individual.net> <10ar1gj$27bne$1@dont-email.me>

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On 9/22/25 01:31, Pancho wrote:
> On 9/22/25 08:57, rbowman wrote:
>> On Mon, 22 Sep 2025 01:38:36 GMT, Charlie Gibbs wrote:
>>
>>> Can you (or your mighty ChatGPT) find an ancient example of using "they"
>>> to refer directly to exactly one person?
>>
> 
> WIki does it <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singular_they>
> 
>> I understand what you're saying. I recall reading a book where a 
>> character
>> was referred to as 'they' and it was confusing until I figured it out.
>>
>> However 'they' is often used for a indeterminate single person. 'I don't
>> know who it was but they left a No Kings flyer on my windshield.' I do 
>> not
>> know if it was a he or she but I assume it isn't a whole herd of antifas
>> that the plural would imply.
>>
> 
> Of course, but I would prefer to introduce a new specific singular 
> gender-neutral third-person pronoun. It would make things clearer.
> 
> My worry would be that it would become like Ms, Mrs, Mrs. In the 1970s 
> women told use they should be like men, and have an honorific that 
> didn't depend on marital status. I thought this was great, made thing 
> simpler, but now we have women who want to be called Mrs or Miss and get 
> offended if you call the Ms. So it complicated things rather than 
> simplified, now I just avoid honorifics.
> 
> Most of the time, I don't care about a person's gender, If people are 
> uptight about getting it wrong it seems simplest to avoid referring to 
> it unless there is a specific reason. I'm very thankful English stopped 
> gendering inanimate objects, like in French. I don't see why we don't do 
> it for people too.

	Well I will recommend the English language solution, stealing without 
compensation a useful honorific from another language aka Japanese "san".
Can be used with last name or first name appended to the noun as in
my case, bliss-san, or Bobbie-san or Sellers-san.  If someone wanted to
flatter me then they would call me bliss-sensi which means bliss is one
who has gone before simply due to my age. Sensi is often applied to
teachers as well as masters of art or craft.
	
	Other languages may have more euphonious terms.  Japanese is
a very ambiguous language sometimes and sometimes that is good for
interpersonal relations.  The Japanese once had a movement to adopt
the English language to escape the ambiguity but while English is
widely taught in Japanese schools it never caught on except in businsse
or scientific circles it appears.

	bliss

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Re: Floppies Stéphane CARPENTIER <sc@fiat-linux.fr> - 2025-09-19 20:01 +0000
  Re: Floppies "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2025-09-19 23:04 +0200
    Re: Floppies Stéphane CARPENTIER <sc@fiat-linux.fr> - 2025-09-20 12:39 +0000
      Re: Floppies The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2025-09-20 16:46 +0100
      Re: Floppies "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2025-09-20 20:30 +0200
        Re: Floppies rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2025-09-21 02:37 +0000
          Re: Floppies Charlie Gibbs <cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid> - 2025-09-21 05:01 +0000
            Re: Floppies rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2025-09-21 06:26 +0000
              Re: Floppies Steve Hayes <hayesstw@telkomsa.net> - 2025-09-22 07:04 +0200
        Tomato joke. "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2025-09-21 15:24 +0200
        Re: Floppies Stéphane CARPENTIER <sc@fiat-linux.fr> - 2025-09-21 14:09 +0000
          Re: Floppies rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2025-09-21 18:36 +0000
          Translations "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2025-09-21 22:00 +0200
            Re: Translations The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2025-09-21 21:32 +0100
              Re: Translations rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2025-09-22 01:16 +0000
                Re: Translations The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2025-09-22 13:42 +0100
          Re: Floppies Nuno Silva <nunojsilva@invalid.invalid> - 2025-09-21 22:57 +0100
          Re: Floppies John Ames <commodorejohn@gmail.com> - 2025-09-22 08:35 -0700
            Re: Floppies Stéphane CARPENTIER <sc@fiat-linux.fr> - 2025-09-27 13:22 +0000
  Re: Floppies Marc Haber <mh+usenetspam1118@zugschl.us> - 2025-09-20 12:15 +0200
    Re: Floppies Stéphane CARPENTIER <sc@fiat-linux.fr> - 2025-09-20 14:43 +0000
      Re: Floppies The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2025-09-20 16:27 +0100
        Re: Floppies Charlie Gibbs <cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid> - 2025-09-20 17:46 +0000
          Re: Floppies Bobbie Sellers <bliss-sf4ever@dslextreme.com> - 2025-09-20 11:12 -0700
          Re: Floppies rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2025-09-20 18:36 +0000
            Re: Floppies Bobbie Sellers <bliss-sf4ever@dslextreme.com> - 2025-09-20 15:28 -0700
      Re: Floppies Richard Kettlewell <invalid@invalid.invalid> - 2025-09-20 19:05 +0100
        Re: Floppies rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2025-09-21 02:41 +0000
          Re: Floppies The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2025-09-21 09:32 +0100
            Re: Floppies Richard Kettlewell <invalid@invalid.invalid> - 2025-09-21 10:00 +0100
              Re: Floppies The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2025-09-21 10:28 +0100
                Re: Floppies Charlie Gibbs <cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid> - 2025-09-21 19:06 +0000
                "They" (was: Re: Floppies) vallor <vallor@cultnix.org> - 2025-09-21 23:12 +0000
                Re: "They" (was: Re: Floppies) Charlie Gibbs <cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid> - 2025-09-22 01:38 +0000
                Re: "They" (was: Re: Floppies) rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2025-09-22 07:57 +0000
                Re: "They" Pancho <Pancho.Jones@protonmail.com> - 2025-09-22 09:31 +0100
                Re: "They" Bobbie Sellers <bliss-sf4ever@dslextreme.com> - 2025-09-22 08:47 -0700
                Re: "They" Pancho <Pancho.Jones@protonmail.com> - 2025-09-23 08:03 +0100
                Re: "They" Bobbie Sellers <bliss-sf4ever@dslextreme.com> - 2025-09-23 09:23 -0700
                Re: "They" The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2025-09-23 17:37 +0100
                Re: "They" rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2025-09-24 02:44 +0000
                Re: "They" rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2025-09-24 02:34 +0000
                Re: "They" The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2025-09-22 13:46 +0100
                Re: "They" rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2025-09-22 18:22 +0000
                Re: "They" ram@zedat.fu-berlin.de (Stefan Ram) - 2025-09-22 13:49 +0000
                Re: "They" Charlie Gibbs <cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid> - 2025-09-22 17:22 +0000
                Re: "They" rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2025-09-22 18:21 +0000
                Re: "They" "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2025-09-22 22:00 +0200
                Re: "They" Bobbie Sellers <bliss-sf4ever@dslextreme.com> - 2025-09-22 15:19 -0700
                Re: "They" Charlie Gibbs <cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid> - 2025-09-23 00:07 +0000
                Re: "They" rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2025-09-23 02:52 +0000
              Re: Floppies rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2025-09-21 17:48 +0000
                Re: Floppies Bobbie Sellers <bliss-sf4ever@dslextreme.com> - 2025-09-21 11:13 -0700
                Re: Floppies The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2025-09-21 20:14 +0100
                Re: Floppies Charlie Gibbs <cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid> - 2025-09-21 20:30 +0000
                Re: Floppies Bobbie Sellers <bliss-sf4ever@dslextreme.com> - 2025-09-21 13:50 -0700
                Re: Floppies Charlie Gibbs <cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid> - 2025-09-22 01:38 +0000
                Re: Floppies The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2025-09-22 13:43 +0100
                Re: Floppies Charlie Gibbs <cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid> - 2025-09-22 17:22 +0000
                Re: Floppies rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2025-09-22 19:23 +0000
                Re: Floppies "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2025-09-22 22:02 +0200
                Re: Floppies Charlie Gibbs <cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid> - 2025-09-23 00:07 +0000
                Re: Floppies Allodoxaphobia <trepidation@example.net> - 2025-09-25 17:07 +0000
                Re: Floppies Charlie Gibbs <cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid> - 2025-09-21 19:06 +0000
            Lingua franca "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2025-09-21 15:35 +0200
              Re: Lingua franca rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2025-09-21 17:58 +0000
                Re: Lingua franca The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2025-09-21 19:12 +0100
                Re: Lingua franca "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2025-09-21 22:09 +0200
              Re: Lingua franca Charlie Gibbs <cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid> - 2025-09-21 19:06 +0000
                Re: Lingua franca "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2025-09-21 22:07 +0200
        Re: Floppies Stéphane CARPENTIER <sc@fiat-linux.fr> - 2025-09-21 13:35 +0000
        Re: Floppies Marc Haber <mh+usenetspam1118@zugschl.us> - 2025-09-23 16:16 +0200
      Re: Floppies rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2025-09-20 18:22 +0000
      Re: Floppies "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2025-09-20 20:54 +0200
        Re: Floppies Stéphane CARPENTIER <sc@fiat-linux.fr> - 2025-09-21 14:24 +0000
      Re: Floppies Jim Jackson <jj@franjam.org.uk> - 2025-09-21 11:11 +0000
        Re: Floppies "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2025-09-21 15:28 +0200
        Re: Floppies Charlie Gibbs <cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid> - 2025-09-27 16:28 +0000
          Re: Floppies The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2025-09-27 19:09 +0100
        Re: Floppies Stéphane CARPENTIER <sc@fiat-linux.fr> - 2025-09-27 12:47 +0000
          Re: Floppies The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2025-09-27 13:52 +0100
      Re: Floppies Marc Haber <mh+usenetspam1118@zugschl.us> - 2025-09-23 16:17 +0200
        Re: Floppies Nuno Silva <nunojsilva@invalid.invalid> - 2025-09-23 15:56 +0100
          Re: Floppies ram@zedat.fu-berlin.de (Stefan Ram) - 2025-09-23 15:21 +0000
            Re: Floppies rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2025-09-23 18:35 +0000
              Re: Floppies Charlie Gibbs <cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid> - 2025-09-23 21:39 +0000
                Re: Floppies rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2025-09-24 04:05 +0000
                Re: Floppies Charlie Gibbs <cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid> - 2025-09-24 05:06 +0000
                Re: Floppies The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2025-09-24 11:37 +0100
                Re: Floppies Charlie Gibbs <cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid> - 2025-09-24 16:53 +0000
                Re: Floppies The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2025-09-24 18:14 +0100
                Re: Floppies rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2025-09-25 00:19 +0000
                Re: Floppies Charlie Gibbs <cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid> - 2025-09-25 19:31 +0000
              Re: Floppies Nuno Silva <nunojsilva@invalid.invalid> - 2025-09-24 00:28 +0100
                Re: Floppies rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2025-09-24 04:07 +0000
          Re: Floppies Charlie Gibbs <cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid> - 2025-09-23 18:23 +0000
          Re: Floppies Stéphane CARPENTIER <sc@fiat-linux.fr> - 2025-09-27 14:26 +0000
        Re: Floppies Stéphane CARPENTIER <sc@fiat-linux.fr> - 2025-09-27 14:10 +0000

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