Date: Fri, 20 Jan 1995 08:49:00 PST

From: Ellen Fennell EMF[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]MSMAIL.WINROCK.ORG

Subject: Re: 2 pl



Lest we forget -- half of the people are women.

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From: ADS-L

To: Multiple recipients of list ADS-L

Subject: Re: 2 pl

Date: Thursday, January 19, 1995 3:27PM



I've argued on this list and elsewhere something very similar to what Edgar

is proposing, though it probably took second place to my question about

whether y'all could be singular.



You guys is definitely gaining as a 2nd person marked plural, distinguished

from a sg. restoring the lost thou/you at least in informal speech, and may

eventually even make inroads in y'all country. The interesting point is

that here we have yet another masculine generic developing, but in an era

when we have become much more sensitive to inclusivity and are backing away

from generic masculines in other contexts. A vocal minority opposes you

guys on grounds that it is sexist, but the voice of the people, that's

another thing, in't it?



dennis

--

Dennis Baron debaron[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]uiuc.edu



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