Table Of Contenti
THE GREAT PRONOUN SHIFT
This book is a holistic exploration of personal pronouns in English and their
development. In conversational prose and drawing on linguistic and psychological
research, Helene Seltzer Krauthamer gives an overview of what pronouns are, why
they are problematic, what they reveal about us, how they can be used effectively,
where they came from, and where they are going. Assuming no specialized
knowledge and with helpful real- world exercises at the end of each chapter, the
book aids growth and inspires thought in students and other readers, spelling out
the implications of these changes for teachers, writers, and all who write or speak
in English.
Helene Seltzer Krauthamer is Professor of English, and English and Foreign
Languages Program Coordinator, at the University of the District of Columbia,
USA.
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THE GREAT PRONOUN
SHIFT
The Big Impact of Little Parts
of Speech
Helene Seltzer Krauthamer
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First published 2021
by Routledge
52 Vanderbilt Avenue, New York, NY 10017
and by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2021 Taylor & Francis
The right of Helene Seltzer Krauthamer to be identified as author of this work
has been asserted by her in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright,
Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised
in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or
hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information
storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks,
and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe.
Library of Congress Cataloging- in- Publication Data
Names: Krauthamer, Helene Seltzer, author.
Title: The great pronoun shift: the big impact of little
parts of speech / Helene Seltzer Krauthamer.
Description: New York, NY: Routledge, 2021. |
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2020042537 | ISBN 9780367210076 (hardback) |
ISBN 9780367210083 (paperback) | ISBN 9780367210175 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: English language–Pronoun. | English language–Social aspects. |
Gender identity. | Language and culture. | Language and sex.
Classification: LCC PE1261.K73 2021 | DDC 425/ .55–dc23
LC record available at https:// lccn.loc.gov/ 2020042537
ISBN: 978- 0- 367- 21007- 6 (hbk)
ISBN: 978- 0- 367- 21008- 3 (pbk)
ISBN: 978- 0- 367- 21017- 5 (ebk)
Typeset in Bembo
by Newgen Publishing UK
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CONTENTS
List of Figures vi
List of Tables vii
Foreword viii
Preface and Acknowledgments xi
1 The Pronoun Problem, Again 1
2 Pronouns in Print and on Broadway 22
3 Nonbinary Pronouns: In Transition 35
4 Pronouns for Pets, Planets, and Other Bodies 53
5 Where Art Thou? Pronouns in History 69
6 Religious Pronouns: Thanks Be to Them! 80
7 Neopronouns: The Final Act of Self- Actualization 90
8 Breaking the Grammar Binary: The Third Word Category 101
9 What’s a Teacher- Student- Writer- Editor- Ally- Person to Do? 111
Appendix: Signs of Them 130
Index 133
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FIGURES
3.1 Gender complexity 37
5.1 Third person singular pronouns in Old English 70
5.2 Third person pronouns in Middle English 71
5.3 Third person pronouns in Early Modern English 71
5.4 Frequency of thou, thee, and thy 72
5.5 The Young Lady’s Accidence 73
5.6 Rise of they 75
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TABLES
4.1 Distribution of pronoun survey respondents by year of birth 54
4.2 Pronoun survey responses for dog 55
4.3 Pronoun survey responses for cormorant 56
4.4 Pronoun survey responses for cat 56
4.5 Pronoun survey responses for horse 57
4.6 Pronoun survey responses for bear 57
4.7 Pronoun survey responses for monster 57
4.8 Pronoun survey responses for Mars 60
4.9 Pronoun survey responses for moon 60
4.10 Pronoun survey responses for truck 63
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FOREWORD
This book is just about pronouns. How much is there to say about them?
Apparently, much more than I thought when I began this project. The topic
expands each time I Google “Pronouns in the News” and find even more articles.
There is a generational divide as well, where folks born before, shall we say, 1969,
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have no idea this is a topic, other than whether to use “I” or “me” or “who” or
“whom”. Those born in later years or those with relatives born in later years or
those who interact with anyone born in later years are more aware of pronouns
appearing in e- mail signatures, buttons, banners, and T- shirts.
To save you the time of reading this entire book, I’ll summarize its point in one
wild prediction: One of these days, when you (the reader) are no longer the person
you are today, the pronoun they and all its manifestations (them, their, theirs, them-
selves, themself, theirself, theirselves) will replace he, she, and all their manifestations.
The gendered pronouns will seem as archaic as thee/ thou/ thy/ thine seem to us
now. Why? Because people will no longer see the relevance of indicating gender
in pronouns, or because people will not want to offend others by using the wrong
pronouns, or simply because everyone’s doing it. It will not be a law enforced by
the government or even by English teachers or editors. It will simply happen as
most language change happens.
This is a bold statement.
Most people have gradually come to accept the singular they when used with
nonspecific antecedents, for example, “Everyone loves their mother” (example
credited to Dennis Baron, the president of pronouns). Grammar purists, or finicky
old English teachers like me, have objected to this use, claiming that it violates
the rule that pronouns should agree in number with what they replace, and so
a singular antecedent (everyone) needs a singular pronoun (he or she). Grammar
purists, or finicky old English teachers like me, advise writers to find other ways
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Foreword ix
to express the same thing, for example, “People love their mothers.” However,
grammar purists et al. have been lambasted for this attitude toward what is a very
common and sensible solution used by Shakespeare, Chaucer, Austin, and just
about every English speaker. Style guides for the Associated Press and even the
National Council of Teachers of English and the Modern Language Association
have now accepted this singular they.
However, what about singular they when the antecedent is specific? How do
you like “John loves their mother”? Most people would interpret this to mean that
John loves someone else’s mother, and the someone else could be either singular
(depending upon how finicky you are) or plural. Still another interpretation, how-
ever, is that John uses they/ them pronouns, and the mother is John’s. Here’s where
the generational divide opens. Some people, generally those known as Generation
Z, accept this use of singular they with a specific antecedent, and others do not,
often quite angrily (something the “Silent” generation is not so silent about).
They claim the anger is over grammar, but that may not really be the case. What
if the anger is really about the rights of individuals to make these “preferences”?
What if the anger is really about their discomfort with nonbinary gender?
As an English teacher, I will tell you that style guidelines change. As a linguist,
I will tell you that being conscious of pronouns is an almost impossible task, one
that requires a lot of effort. As an ethical person, I will tell you that it is the duty
of all ethical people to make that effort. As a prophet, I will tell you that someday
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it will not be an issue or an effort.
Why?
For one thing, the protesters will literally die out. Remember which generation
has no problem using singular they with specific antecedents. Younger generations
will be around longer to spread their word.
For another thing, the very fact that pronouns are used subconsciously means
that once the singular- specific they catches on, it will be used everywhere.
Now here again is the bold prediction:
They will (someday) replace he and she, making them as archaic as
thee and thou.
Nobody knows for sure what happened to thee and thou, though there is a lot
of research on this topic. Some have speculated that the singular you became
prominent as social classes became more homogeneous in their styles of dress and
people could no longer distinguish the aristocrat from the artisan. It may have
become an embarrassment for speakers to insult their audience by using thee or
thou when using you would indicate more respect.
Is the misclassing of the past analogous to the misgendering of the present?
Could the social forces that wiped out class distinctions in language erase the
gender distinctions as well?
That is the premise of this book. Read on, if thou darest.
