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Re: Gender neutral - any new developments in your neck of the woods?

Subject: Re: Gender neutral - any new developments in your neck of the woods?
From: Bruce Byfield <bbyfield -at- axionet -dot- com>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Date: Tue, 04 Mar 2003 14:59:39 -0800


Kirsten Zerbinis wrote:


Ah well, in the same landmark document in which the OED declared that "they" is an acceptable third person neuter pronoun, they told everyone it was okay to split the infinitive. It was an altogether strangely progressive year for the OED.

Not really. One of the strengths of the Oxford English Dictionary is that it has always been based on historical and linguistic principles. When the idea was first floated, the prospectus said something to the effect that the goal was not to set up a tyrant to officiate over language standards - or forty (a reference to the French Academy). That outlook has remained fairly constant. The OED has never been interested in telling people how to use the language; the goal is entirely to describe how the language is used. Since people are using "they" for a neuter pronoun and splitting the infinitive in print, the OED duly records the fact - that's all.

--
Bruce Byfield bbyfield -at- axionet -dot- com 604.421.7177
http://members.axion.net/~bbyfield





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Re: Gender neutral - any new developments in your neck of the woods?: From: Kirsten Zerbinis

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