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Sexist language: Difference between revisions
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One of the failings of the English language is that it doesn’t deal awfully well with what these days is called “[[gender neutrality]]”, but more properly could be called “[[sexual indifference]]”, except that that sounds like something else altogether. | One of the failings of the English language is that it doesn’t deal awfully well with what these days is called “[[gender neutrality]]”, but more properly could be called “[[sexual indifference]]”, except that that sounds like something else altogether. | ||
This wiki frequently, mockingly, speaks of the [[Mediocre lawyer|attorney]] in the abstract. These days, an officer of the courts is marginally more likely to be | This wiki frequently, mockingly, speaks of the [[Mediocre lawyer|attorney]] in the abstract. These days, an officer of the courts is marginally more likely to be a woman than a man, but the [[hypothetical]] [[lawyer]], for whom we have such great affection and about whom we speak at such length, is neither one thing nor the other<ref>As they used to say of the great Bob Cunis.</ref>. This creates challenges when using {{tag|pronoun}}s. | ||
Generally, we like {{tag|pronoun}}s. We don’t think lawyers use them often enough: they are more idiomatic and easier on the ear that the lawyer’s usual stand in “[[such]] [insert {{tag|noun}}]”. But pronouns do commit one to a {{tag|gender}}: “[[he]]”, or “[[she]]”, “[[him]]” or “[[her]]” — no-one likes to be referred to as “it”. | Generally, we like {{tag|pronoun}}s. We don’t think lawyers use them often enough: they are more idiomatic and easier on the ear that the lawyer’s usual stand in “[[such]] [insert {{tag|noun}}]”. But pronouns do commit one to a {{tag|gender}}: “[[he]]”, or “[[she]]”, “[[him]]” or “[[her]]” — no-one likes to be referred to as “it”, and he or she is an abomination before all right-thinking {{sex|men}}. Or {{sex|women}}. | ||
Now it is also true that the very point of satire is to poke the ribs of sacred cows, so perhaps I should be more phlegmatic — but pick your battles, and all that. | |||
{{c|grammar}} | {{c|grammar}} | ||
{{ref}} | |||