[ExI] language question

[David Lubkin]

Spike wrote:

>We are hearing another awkward compromise where we use the 
>traditionally genderless term "they" in place of the clumsy "he or 
>she" and "their" in place of "his or her."  We pretend that "they" 
>and "their" can be singular as well as plural, even while 
>recognizing we are throwing away the specificity between singular vs 
>plural in order to be gender-neutral.  OK, fair deal.  I can embrace 
>that with all our heart.

The singular 'they' is nothing new. It has been around for many 
centuries. It is seen in the works of Shakespeare, Austen, Dickens, 
Clemens, Thackeray, Orwell, and Lubkin.


-- David.