Madbrad200@sh.itjust.works to Shitty Food Porn@lemmy.ca · edit-211 days agoCrimes against breakfastssh.itjust.worksimagemessage-square134fedilinkarrow-up1402arrow-down117file-text
arrow-up1385arrow-down1imageCrimes against breakfastssh.itjust.worksMadbrad200@sh.itjust.works to Shitty Food Porn@lemmy.ca · edit-211 days agomessage-square134fedilinkfile-text
minus-squarecourval@lemmy.worldlinkfedilinkarrow-up9arrow-down6·10 days agoThis is quite confusing at least for a non native like me… I’ve always been told ‘they’ is plural… It’s feels a bit like when megalomaniac people refer to themselves as we. Why not make a new pronoun if no other suitable singular exists?
minus-squareAlligatorBlizzard@sh.itjust.workslinkfedilinkarrow-up17·10 days agoBecause English got simplified at various points in history. We’ve lost thee and thou and thy. As awkward as singular they might seem, it’s so old that Shakespeare used it.
minus-squareHonytawklinkfedilinkEnglisharrow-up8·10 days agoTime to improve and learn the real definition then.
minus-squarebrisk@aussie.zonelinkfedilinkarrow-up5·10 days agoIf it helps to relate it to something else, “you” also has plural grammar but can refer to a singular.
This is quite confusing at least for a non native like me… I’ve always been told ‘they’ is plural… It’s feels a bit like when megalomaniac people refer to themselves as we. Why not make a new pronoun if no other suitable singular exists?
Because English got simplified at various points in history. We’ve lost thee and thou and thy.
As awkward as singular they might seem, it’s so old that Shakespeare used it.
Well, now you know better.
Time to improve and learn the real definition then.
If it helps to relate it to something else, “you” also has plural grammar but can refer to a singular.