[WikiEN-l] Sexist pronouns

Fri Jul 18 19:31:46 UTC 2003

At 10:06 AM 7/18/2003, you wrote:
>Yes, I was aware of Jane Austen, but she was very much an exception -- the 
>vast majority of writers used "generic he" throughout the 18th and 19th 
>centuries, and through most of the 20th.  I think Samuel Taylor Coleridge 
>may be the one other notable exception.
>
>It is also true, as Dante Alighieri pointed out, that "singular they" was 
>used in the 16th century and through some of the 17th.  But medieval 
>English usage is hardly a good guide for modern English usage.

Calling the "singular they" a medieval English usage hardly seems 
appropriate given that Jane Austen wasn't around during the medieval 
period, and contemporary authors use it as well. :)

-----
Dante Alighieri
dalighieri at digitalgrapefruit.com

"The darkest places in hell are reserved for those who maintain their 
neutrality in times of great moral crisis."
    -Dante Alighieri, 1265-1321