The Singular “They”
The next step in the evolution of the English language?
Advance apologies to those who were hoping that “on fleek” or “squaaaaaaaaaaad” would make the cut. On Jan. 8, the American Dialect Society declared that the singular form of the pronoun “they” is their word of the year for 2015.
In English, “they” typically refers to a group of people, but the singular form of the word takes the place of the somewhat unwieldy phrase “him or her” and its several variations. For example: “If someone reads this article, tell them they can give themselves a pat on the back,” or: “Did someone just leave their copy of The Runner lying around on this table?”
One of the reasons this is seen as a significant change in language is because it neither identifies the individual as male or female. The singular “they” has therefore been welcomed by individuals who identify as genderqueer or non-binary—those who may feel that the terms “he” or “she” do do not apply to themselves. Rather than excluding them or forcing them to choose to align themselves along a binary, they may identify, or have others refer to them, as the singular “they.” For example:
“I really enjoy that artist’s work, they are clearly gifted.”
It’s not just the American Dialect Society that has recognized the growing importance of the singular “they”—social networking website Facebook now allows the use of “they” as youe personal pronoun so your peers will get notifications such as, “Wish them a happy birthday.”
The changing usage of the word “they” exemplifies how the English language is in a constant state of flux, evolving with the needs of English-speaking society. According to Neil Kennedy, an english professor at Kwantlen Polytechnic University, this should be seen as a positive thing.
“Language that does not change is either dying or dead,” he says. “Human experience is paradoxical in that many experiences are old as human beings are. Falling in love, falling out of love, fathering a child, burying a parent. Much of human life carries. If language isn’t changing under the pressure of those experiences and ideas to help people better understand these things, then there’s something wrong.”
This doesn’t mean that everyone who speaks the language is onboard with how it is evolving. Kennedy himself is concerned for how English is adapting in modern society.
“Language like any species waxes and wanes, goes through periods of health and strength and vitality or weakness,” he says. “I don’t think we’re living in a very good age for language. I don’t think people hear the words they write, I don’t think they feel the words they say. There’s a lack of connection to language . . . there are so many words and acronyms we use that are so ugly without realizing their ugliness. Ugly language we use debases our soul.”
Along with ‘they” being their word of the year, the American Dialect Society’s category for “most useful word” of the year included the term “zero fucks given” as a nominee. In addition, the term “on fleek” was a—some would say unfortunately—candidate for their “most likely to succeed” category.
Perhaps the coup de grâce: the Oxford English Dictionary’s choice for word of the year was an emoticon. In Kennedy’s words, “This is prostitution and a sell-out.”
Should we be worried about the future of society? The possibility that we are slowly losing the ability to use sophisticated language?
“The one thing about the future is, it’s not going to be what we think,” says Kennedy. “It’s sad. I do see students who express themselves with personality and energy but I also see very low standards, skill, or ability with language.”
In the end, it’s up to us as English speakers to avoid using mundane language that stems from laziness and texting culture. The singular “they” being awarded word of the year is an example of how language can be used in a sophisticated and progressive manner. If we, as a society, evolve language in a positive manner, perhaps we can avoid the English language apocalypse that looms over our future.
