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pronouns

The thing above was in the official footer of an email I received yesterday from someone at a British University. You will note that the word ‘pronouns’ is a link. Like goes here.

From the article:
The table below provides examples of gender pronouns from the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual Resource Center at UC Davis

I decided to spare you the effort (I’m nice like that) and look them all up for you.

Co/cos/coself. Gender neutral. I couldn’t find the origin. Same for en/ens/enself. While ey/em/eir appear to be one of the Spivak pronouns. Hit the link if you care.

He and she are for filthy cis degenerates and they is plural and if you use it singular I will REE unto the hills.

Xie/hir/hirself and ze/zir/zirself also generic and without origin, listed as among of the most common. Which probably means they aren’t special enough any more. Yo/yo/yoself is a made up gender-neutral pronoun dreamed up by students in Baltimore or this New Age religion.

There are, of course, dozens of others. As many of the related articles point out, people have been trying to come up with gender-neutral pronouns for English since at least the 19th C. And as I’d like to point out, they all died out, didn’t they? Because they sound stoopit.

It was fun explaining this to my boss.

Comments


Comment from DurnedYankee
Time: December 11, 2018, 6:27 pm

Thank zee for explaining this to they.

They are without words! They are so happy someze is taking this seriously!

If you liked this, read any of the Kelly Turnbull novels by Kurt Schlichter (obviously a NAZI, look at that name!).

I, refuse to participate, this is all a symptom of people who want their own set of facts and demand you respect them without giving a tinker’s dam about respecting your views, or reality.


Comment from Janet A. Roesler
Time: December 11, 2018, 7:19 pm

Themself? THEMSELF?? Is that a Britishism?


Comment from Uncle Al
Time: December 11, 2018, 8:06 pm

I would be happy to learn and use these new pronouns if only I were offered a professional-level incentive. My short-term limited contract rate is $200 per hour. For educational institutions, it is $675 per hour unless I’m paid for time I spend deciphering proposal, requirements, and specifications documents.


Comment from Uncle Al
Time: December 11, 2018, 8:09 pm

@Janet A. Roesler:

Themself? THEMSELF?? Is that a Britishism?

Well, it does sound a bit better than the
American English (Southern) version: They own seff.


Comment from Drew458
Time: December 11, 2018, 8:21 pm

There are two genders, and an infinite number of mental conditions.


Comment from Deborah HH
Time: December 11, 2018, 9:39 pm

When gender-fluid wild card situations demand use of a “non-gendered” pronoun—I refuse play along. It’s annoying as hell, and I love doing it. I repeat the last name instead of using a pronoun. If I don’t know the last name I rely on the French Revolution, and say, “Citizen.” Examples: Jenner lost Jenner’s purse. Manning bought great peep toes to wear to Manning’s birthday party. This Citizen needs an escort lift to Citizen’s car in the rear parking lot. Clumsy, but sufficient.


Comment from Some Vegetable
Time: December 11, 2018, 11:15 pm

Gin a body meet a body
Comin’ thro’ the rye
Gin a body kiss a body
Need a body cry?

Ilka lassie has her laddie
Nane, they say, hae I
Yet a’ the lads they smile at me
When comin’ thro’ the rye.

Gin a body meet a body
Comin’ frae the town
Gin a body kiss a body
Need a body frown?

Gin a body meet a body,
Comin’ frae the well,
Gin a body kiss a body,
Need a body tell?


Comment from p2
Time: December 11, 2018, 11:45 pm

i lay blame squarely on my generation for this. these are our kids (and theirs on occaision) fomenting this insanity. i, for one, refuse to conform. and i’m damn glad i never had children.


Comment from AliceH
Time: December 12, 2018, 1:31 am

My pronoun is “guy”, which I maintain is gender neutral. Or rather to fit the chart, it’d be “that guy”, “this guy” “these guys” “those guys”.


Comment from Mrs. Peel
Time: December 12, 2018, 1:48 am

Deborah & Alice, that’s what I do, except I use “It’s Pat” as a pronoun. “There’s an It’s Pat in the choir.” “Which bathroom is the It’s Pat using?” Et cetera.

I may be revealing my age here.


Comment from Ripley
Time: December 12, 2018, 1:50 am

“There can be only two.”


Comment from Durnedyankee
Time: December 12, 2018, 12:26 pm

So is it time to discuss which pronouns mustalids prefer.
Then xe can poll bovines and canines and felines and let xus not forget the needs of dragonkin and large metropolitan structures.


Comment from Wolfus Aurelius
Time: December 13, 2018, 2:42 pm

I like to say my late black cat Marie-Antoinette was way ahead of her time as the first gender-fluid cat. She was born male (though certain, ah, twin structures did not descend as they should have), was believed to be female and was named accordingly, and was revealed to be male at age 5 (after several other vets should have found that out). However, she remains “Marie,” “The Queen,” and “she/her” to this day.

It’s a good thing cats don’t worry about such things. She’d have been so confused.


Comment from Jon
Time: December 14, 2018, 5:45 pm

“Two yoots” from My Cousin Vinny will always be one of my favorite fictional uses of pronouns.
I prefer them in fiction.

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