Anonymous  +  612956 Wed, 17 Dec 08 10:47 AM When did singular "they" fall out of use and why did prescriptvists "ban" its use? Anonymous

	Avangi  +  613455 Wed, 17 Dec 08 09:22 PM We still use them on our site:  "Avangi updated their personal profile 54 min. ago" Avangi Joined on Mon, Nov 19 2007 Veteran Member 8,180 ". . . le plaisir delicieux et toujours nouveau d'une occupation inutile." - Henri de Regnier

	Alienvoord  +  618643 Tue, 23 Dec 08 03:35 AM It never has falled out of use; it's been in use since the 1300s. It was first prescribed against in the 1800s, probably because it was thought that pronouns should agree with their antecedents both syntactically and semantically. Alienvoord Joined on Tue, Jul 25 2006 Toronto Full Member 345 Pronouns

	Avangi  +  618779 Tue, 23 Dec 08 06:19 AM I'll vote for that! Avangi

	MrPedantic  +  619606 Tue, 23 Dec 08 11:54 PM Anonymous “When did singular "they" fall out of use and why did prescriptvists "ban" its use?” I was struck by the tone of the question, which sounded to me a little like an exam question. I think this is because the question involves several assumptions: 1. That singular "they" fell out of use. 2. That it was "banned". 3. That those who "banned" it, if it was banned, were "prescriptivists". 4. That those who "banned" it, if it was banned, provided reasons. All these assumptions, if true, imply a detailed knowledge of the history of English usage on the questioner's part; though the putting of the question would seem to disavow any such knowledge. Hence its formal likeness to an exam question: where of course the questioner does indeed "know" the answer already. MrP MrPedantic Joined on Tue, Oct 12 2004 Veteran Member 12,592 ...opella forensis / adducit febris... Countries, United Kingdom, Great Britain, Languages, Usages

	Avangi  +  619806 Wed, 24 Dec 08 04:11 AM Or another type of test   -   Rorschach (inviting you to expose your views) Avangi

	Kooyeen  +  620268 Wed, 24 Dec 08 02:01 PM - It never fell out of use. - I don't know who banned it, when, where, or why, and I don't want to know. I would have to ask some prescriptivists, but I don't want to talk to those kinds of people. Kooyeen Joined on Thu, Dec 22 2005 Italy Senior Member 4,969 Parental Advisory / Explicit Posts

	Yankee  +  622603 Fri, 26 Dec 08 06:32 PM Kooyeen “- It never fell out of use.” It certainly gets plenty of use in my neck of the woods. Yankee Joined on Sat, Apr 15 2006 Connecticut, USA Veteran Member 6,497 Amy "You can't depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus." - Mark Twain