tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-937390557356997344.post3990288057995554287..comments2024-03-22T03:59:39.188-07:00Comments on Dive into Worldbuilding: Gender in Language: A Worldbuilding Hangout ReportJuliette Wadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02879627074920760712noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-937390557356997344.post-20806737989844534782011-11-30T09:41:24.227-08:002011-11-30T09:41:24.227-08:00Thanks for the comment, CWJ, and thanks for sharin...Thanks for the comment, CWJ, and thanks for sharing your experience. At a panel with Stan about language, we talked about pronouns, and he mentioned he'd had similar difficulty with a pronoun system he'd invented for a novel. One should take on a project like that with caution and foreknowledge, I think.Juliette Wadehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02879627074920760712noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-937390557356997344.post-58725077502435685942011-11-30T09:35:37.597-08:002011-11-30T09:35:37.597-08:00Inventing new pronouns is an uphill battle. I trie...Inventing new pronouns is an uphill battle. I tried to invent one for a story (not genderless; instead the pronoun was a specific status marker used for high-caste, sort of like modern address of "thee" and "thou" for God, but I didn't want to do that) but it was a headache and Stan Schmidt (in his gracious rejection of the story) convinced me this really hard to do.<br><br>I'm not saying one shouldn't do it, just adding my own experience with trying...CWJhttp://analogsf.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-937390557356997344.post-67567190102153024872011-11-30T07:38:21.371-08:002011-11-30T07:38:21.371-08:00Another wonderful report! I'd have to disagree...Another wonderful report! I'd have to disagree with you on two points: that pronouns don't change and that "they" is not accepted usage. <br><br>Just look 300 years ago and people were saying thee, thou, thine and thy, and ye and you were only used for plural cases. Now we have you, and, not accepted academically but functioning as pronouns in speech, you all, y'all, you guys, and, still in NY, youse.<br><br>The OED cites they as being used as a singular pronoun since the 16th century, and becoming more common, again, in the 20th because of efforts to avoid sexist language.<br><br>But yeah, efforts to manufacture pronouns to avoid sexism have mostly failed.<br><br>One of these days a hangout it going to coincide with a day off and I'll be able to attend!NicoleLhttp://nicolelisa.wordpress.com/noreply@blogger.com