From: KPJ (kpj@sics.se)
Date: Tue Sep 05 2000 - 02:46:36 MDT
It appears as if J. R. Molloy <jr@shasta.com> wrote:
|
|From: "Skye" <skyezacharia@yahoo.com>
|> They're just elements of what is called gender-neutral
|> text: all I'm saying is that there are obvious
|> problems with the english language, such that extra
|> systems are often created to implement or modify it...
|
|There may be problems with the language, but nothing compared to the problems
|created by modifying it to suit the wishes of ideologues and meddlers.
|The English language is beautiful, and was perhaps more beautiful in
|Shakespeare's day. With the advent of printed dictionaries, it became possible
|to teach people the language so that dialects did not overtake it, but could
|still enrich it. The language continues to evolve spontaneously and words are
|added to it continuously.
|"If it ain't broke, don't fix it."
Why is it important to always point at the person's sex?
In Finnish, there exists a single pronoun for third person singular, and
when one feels that the sex must be pointed at, one can do that, using
"the woman" or the like.
I believe much of the resistance against language changes comes from simple
conservatism, esp. among English language users.
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