If
you are as much of a word nerd as I am or spend any amount of time on
grammar-related social media, you've probably heard about the recent dictionary
changes. As we all know and witness daily, English is an evolving language.
Part of that growth includes adding new words into the dictionaries as part of common English usage. Change is never something we handle well.
Therefore, new words are not always greeted with much enthusiasm. A recent addition
in Merriam – Webster has especially created a stir. That word is the singular they.
The singular they is one of
those topics in English grammar that can quickly divide a room. The most common
objection to they as a singular pronoun is that it’s supposed to be
plural. That is true and they is still retaining its plural sense. But
English has precedence for breaking its rules and developing exceptions. On the
other hand, many applaud the recognition of singular they as progress
that makes the English language less clunky and easier to use. No longer do
authors have to use phrasing such as “his or her” or reword sentences to avoid
the construction altogether. With these opposing sides, it can make one wonder
who exactly is right. Well, the answer might not be what one would think.
Singular they has been used
in spoken and written English for centuries. If you pay close attention to what
you are saying, you will most likely find that you use they in this
sense daily. According to Patricia O’Conner and Stewart Kellerman of
Grammarphobia, they has been a part of English in the singular usage
since the 1300s and became a permanent part of the language by the end of the
century[1]. With its entry into
English, no one saw a reason to object to its singular meaning. In fact,
widespread distaste for the singular they did not appear until the 1700s
when grammarians began to insist on they being used strictly in its
original sense as a plural pronoun[2].
These grammarians may have
successfully stigmatized singular they, but they did not stop anyone
from using it. Too much time had passed, and it had firmly taken root in speech
and writing. Thus, the battling amongst grammarians and authors began and has
continued into modern times. Merriam – Webster accepting singular they
is a mighty success for this beleaguered pronoun but is honestly nothing new.
It only means that dictionaries are finally catching up with reality.
For those who still find it hard to
accept singular they, I would like to point out that a similar change
has already happened for you. I am not referring to you being used in the
plural sense though. Unbeknownst to many, you was not a singular pronoun
originally. It wasn’t even a subject pronoun. While everyone was busy fighting
over how to use they, that sly pronoun you overtook first ye
as the plural subject and later both singular forms thou and thee.[3]
Because of the changes brought on by you, English is one of those few languages that has no distinction between singular and plural or formal and informal speech. If anyone was going to complain about language changes, I think they (catch that there) should be going after that upstart you. Even though English has taken on some drastic changes, it has survived and thrived. Personally, I think English is going to weather this latest change just fine.
[1]
Patricia T. O’Conner and Stewart Kellerman, “Fifty shades of ‘they’,” Grammarphobia
(blog), May 22, 2017, https://www.grammarphobia.com/blog/2017/05/they-4.html.
[2]
Ibid.
[3]
Elizabeth O’Brien, “The Story of the Pronoun You,” Grammar
Revolution, Accessed September 20, 2019, https://www.english-grammar-revolution.com/history-of-you.html.
