• JeSuisUnHombre@lemm.ee
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      2 months ago

      I understand that, my point is that they’re not useful. Or at least it would be much more useful to have a singular and a plural pronoun, because that distinction is more relevant to modern speech.

      • Flying Squid@lemmy.worldOP
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        2 months ago

        Language is as useful as people make it and people have been happy to use the singular ‘they’ along with gendered pronouns for centuries. I don’t see the issue.

        • JeSuisUnHombre@lemm.ee
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          2 months ago

          You could use a similar argument to stop literally any innovation. Things don’t have to be an issue to be able to be improved.

          • Flying Squid@lemmy.worldOP
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            2 months ago

            Language isn’t about innovation unless it is an artificial language. People don’t choose their words based on what is innovative.

            • JeSuisUnHombre@lemm.ee
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              2 months ago

              Are we not intelligent enough to make language whatever we want it to be? We actually do that all the time with political correctness and ungendering words like policeman.

              • Flying Squid@lemmy.worldOP
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                2 months ago

                “We” are not under any obligation to make language whatever you want it to be.

                Again, most people have no problem with the singular ‘they.’ You do. Why should they change to accommodate you?

                • JeSuisUnHombre@lemm.ee
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                  2 months ago

                  I’m not obligating anything or asking for any accommodation. I’m trying to make an argument for a better system than what we currently have, whereas you just seem to be saying ‘change is stupid’.

                  • Flying Squid@lemmy.worldOP
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                    2 months ago

                    No, I’m saying you can’t force people to change their language if they don’t want to no matter how much better you personally think it would be some other way. You can ask, but I don’t know why anyone would agree in this case.