Singular 'they' is voted Word of the Decade by U.S. linguists

[canuckamuck]

My word for the decade is not allowed on the forum, But I say it every time I read nonsense like the article in the OP.

 

Why is the world so determined to be a mockery of itself.

Professing to be be wise, they became fools.

Edited January 4, 2020 by canuckamuck

[sirineou]

10 hours ago, JetsetBkk said:

They have linguists in America? 

I know you intend to be funny but linguistics is not just grammar. 

The great Noam Chomsky  of MIT is sometimes referred to as "The father of modern linguistics" is American as are many others; 

" Chomsky's independent theory, founded by Noam Chomsky, considers language as one aspect of cognition. Chomsky's theory states that a number of cognitive systems exist, which seem to possess distinct specific properties. These cognitive systems lay the groundwork for cognitive capacities, like language faculty."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Language_and_thought

Which plays in to the subject of this Thread, and of how language affects thought, and a such culture. hence the choice of the work "They "

If interested the short paper below gives a cursory description in this subject. 

https://www.gwashingtonhs.org/ourpages/auto/2013/10/23/68598699/sci-am-2011.pdf

[Oliver Holzerfilled]

"The society, founded in 1889 and dedicated to the study of the English language in North America, started selecting its "Word of the Year" in 1991 and since then has picked only two other "Word of the Decade" winners. Top choices were "web" for the 1990s and "Google" as a verb for the 2000s.

 

Other "Word of the Year" nominations for 2019 included:

 

... - "Karen," the stereotype of a complaining, self-important, demanding white woman, typically a member of Generation X or "Generation Karen."

 

Surprising that the American Dialect Society, which apparently likes to traffic in gender and racial stereotypes, missed this no brainer:

 

"Shaquanna," the stereotype of an obese, complaining, demanding black woman, typically a member of Generation G, or "Generation Ghetto."

 

Also given the mindset of many posters here I suspect a stereotype of a Jew might well win "Word of the Decade" for the 2020's.

[Chomper Higgot]

A wonderful example of the ability of the English language to adapt to social change.

 

And above less wonderful examples of some among us to do likewise. 

[Oliver Holzerfilled]

1 hour ago, sirineou said:

I know you intend to be funny but linguistics is not just grammar. 

The great Noam Chomsky  of MIT is sometimes referred to as "The father of modern linguistics" is American as are many others; 

" Chomsky's independent theory, founded by Noam Chomsky, considers language as one aspect of cognition. Chomsky's theory states that a number of cognitive systems exist, which seem to possess distinct specific properties. These cognitive systems lay the groundwork for cognitive capacities, like language faculty."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Language_and_thought

Which plays in to the subject of this Thread, and of how language affects thought, and a such culture. hence the choice of the work "They "

If interested the short paper below gives a cursory description in this subject. 

https://www.gwashingtonhs.org/ourpages/auto/2013/10/23/68598699/sci-am-2011.pdf

Again, the guy can't even grasp simple geography.  And you expect him to comprehend Chomsky?

[Mac98]

THEY use stereotyping on white women, boomers, police, and others. But aren't THEY the ones who wanted people made into homeless outcasts if he/she dared 'stereotype' someone? What happened to PC? PC is certainly stupid, anyway. When you look for the department store Santa, you could be publicly berated for assuming (stereotyping) that it's the fat, bearded guy in the red suit being besieged by children.

[blazes]

Seen on a mother's headstone in a Somerset graveyard:

 

"Her can't come to we,

But us can go to she"

 

 

[ThaiFelix]

22 hours ago, JetsetBkk said:

They have linguists in America? 

Its very surprising seeing none of them can spell.

[Oliver Holzerfilled]

8 minutes ago, ThaiFelix said:

Its very surprising seeing none of them can spell.

What a silly comment.  There are many competent linguists in all the countries of North, South and Central America.  Or perhaps you are a graduate of Pattaya Barstool University's geography program, the only university in the world whose textbooks include maps with a country named "America?"

 

[Salerno]

There may well be many competent linguists. question is, do they also lack a sense of humour unlike some on here?

[Oliver Holzerfilled]

4 minutes ago, Salerno said:

There may well be many competent linguists. question is, do they also lack a sense of humour unlike some on here?

I can see why you're confused.  The correct spelling is humor, not humour.  And yes, I have a sense of humor.  The ball's in your court funny boy.

[ivor bigun]

I think "they" should not waste "their" time on rubbish like this 

[DannyCarlton]

10 hours ago, Chomper Higgot said:

A wonderful example of the ability of the English language to adapt to social change.

 

And above less wonderful examples of some among us to do likewise. 

The protagonists themselves aren't adapting to change. Started by the same LBGT, brown rice eating, I don't sit on leather chairs brigade that brought us #metoo. Shouldn't that be changed to #themtoo?

[Scott Tracy]

We'll be reducing the use of I, she, he, you (singular) then?

 

For languages other than English, there has to be other fora, right? Or is that forums?

[DannyCarlton]

 

humour

14 minutes ago, Oliver Holzerfilled said:

I can see why you're confused.  The correct spelling is humor, not humour.  And yes, I have a sense of humor.  The ball's in your court funny boy.

English = humour. WE invented the language. Learn from the creators not the imitators (badly).

 

noun: humour; noun: humor; noun: cardinal humour; plural noun: cardinal humours; noun: cardinal humor; plural noun: cardinal humors

1. 1.

   the quality of being amusing or comic, especially as expressed in literature or speech.

   "his tales are full of humour"

Edited January 5, 2020 by DannyCarlton

[samsensam]

14 minutes ago, Oliver Holzerfilled said:

I can see why you're confused.  The correct spelling is humor, not humour.  And yes, I have a sense of humor.  The ball's in your court funny boy.

 

The correct spelling is humor, not humour.

 

really?

[Chazar]

Dumbed down beyond  belief.......next years  word "a"

[ballpoint]

19 hours ago, Krataiboy said:

They is a bunch of idiots.

You're missing the point of the OP, which is a singular they.  You should have either said "They is an idiot", or "Theys is a bunch of idiots".

[Chazar]

11 minutes ago, DannyCarlton said:

The protagonists themselves aren't adapting to change. Started by the same LBGT, brown rice eating, I don't sit on leather chairs brigade that brought us #metoo. Shouldn't that be changed to #themtoo?

nah "sodthemtoo"

[Chazar]

4 minutes ago, ballpoint said:

You're missing the point of the OP, which is a singular they.  You should have either said "They is an idiot", or "Theys is a bunch of idiots".

you should prefix with "like"makes me vomit when people continually  like, use that word , like

[canuckamuck]

18 minutes ago, DannyCarlton said:

The protagonists themselves aren't adapting to change. Started by the same LBGT, brown rice eating, I don't sit on leather chairs brigade that brought us #metoo. Shouldn't that be changed to #themtoo?

I think it is, We too, or Us too.

Edited January 5, 2020 by canuckamuck

[DannyCarlton]

1 minute ago, canuckamuck said:

I think it is We too or Us too

That's sooo last decade. Get with the times, it's #themtoo.

[toofarnorth]

20 hours ago, car720 said:

Truly, when are we going to stop kissing the collective 'they'?  If my kids ever say 'ok boomer' to me they will lose their inheritance.  All 10 cents worth.

As for me , when I sign orf to my eldest daughter and 3 g/children from now on OK Boomer , see if they get it .

[thasoss]

21 hours ago, Cory1848 said:

As a book editor, this is something I have to deal with on a pretty regular basis, and pronouns are taken seriously by many, but I wouldn't expect the topic to be of much interest to the crowd at this forum!

you'd be wrong

[toofarnorth]

29 minutes ago, DannyCarlton said:

 

humour

English = humour. WE invented the language. Learn from the creators not the imitators (badly).

 

noun: humour; noun: humor; noun: cardinal humour; plural noun: cardinal humours; noun: cardinal humor; plural noun: cardinal humors

1. 1.

   the quality of being amusing or comic, especially as expressed in literature or speech.

   "his tales are full of humour"

Have to agree but one word us Brits don't use but I think should is dove , not the bird .

EG.  I just dove into the water .  After all we say drive , past tense drove . Why not dive past tense dove ?

[samran]

...and judging by this thread, the word ‘triggered’ was a close runner up. 

[DannyCarlton]

1 minute ago, toofarnorth said:

Have to agree but one word us Brits don't use but I think should is dove , not the bird .

EG.  I just dove into the water .  After all we say drive , past tense drove . Why not dive past tense dove ?

What to Know

The words dived and dove are interchangeable as a past tense and past participle of the verb dive. Both verb inflections are used in American and British English; however, dove is an Americanism, and thus tends to be used more in American English.

Dived is English, dove is American. It's dived.

[thasoss]

13 hours ago, sirineou said:

I know you intend to be funny but linguistics is not just grammar. 

The great Noam Chomsky  of MIT is sometimes referred to as "The father of modern linguistics" is American as are many others; 

" Chomsky's independent theory, founded by Noam Chomsky, considers language as one aspect of cognition. Chomsky's theory states that a number of cognitive systems exist, which seem to possess distinct specific properties. These cognitive systems lay the groundwork for cognitive capacities, like language faculty."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Language_and_thought

Which plays in to the subject of this Thread, and of how language affects thought, and a such culture. hence the choice of the work "They "

If interested the short paper below gives a cursory description in this subject. 

https://www.gwashingtonhs.org/ourpages/auto/2013/10/23/68598699/sci-am-2011.pdf

chomskyists are people with too much time on their hands."they" is a plural describing multiples of things,for example a multiple of people including males and females.It does n't matter how much they stamp up and down in their safe rooms,we are either male or female,you either own a stick or a hole,that's the way it is biologically.If you're brain disagrees you see a psychiatrist.

[DannyCarlton]

2 minutes ago, samran said:

...and judging by this thread, the word ‘triggered’ was a close runner up. 

just goes to show how many Americans are bastardising the English language on this forum.

[rabas]

48 minutes ago, DannyCarlton said:

The protagonists themselves aren't adapting to change. Started by the same LBGT, brown rice eating, I don't sit on leather chairs brigade that brought us #metoo. Shouldn't that be changed to #themtoo?

Only if you also change 'too' to imply individuality and self reliance rather than inclusiveness.

 

#wemyself are responsible for what happened.