Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-8bhkd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-04T18:24:53.679Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Androcentrism in prescriptive grammar: singular ‘they’, sex-indefinite ‘he’, and ‘he or she’1

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 December 2008

Ann Bodine
Ann Bodine
Affiliation:
Rutgers University
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

This paper demonstrates that prior to the beginning of the prescriptive grammar movement in English, singular ‘they’ was both accepted and widespread. It is argued that the prescriptive grammarians' attack on singular ‘they’ was socially motivated, and the specific reasons for their attack are discussed. By analogy with socially motivated changes in second person pronouns in a variety of European languages, it is suggested that third person pronoun usage will be affected by the current feminist opposition to sex-indefinite ‘he’ – particularly since the well-established alternative, singular ‘they’, has remained widespread in spoken English throughout the two and a half centuries of its ‘official’ proscription. Finally, the implications of changes in third person singular, sex-indefinite pronouns for several issues of general interest within linguistics are explored. (Language change, sex roles and language, language attitudes, language planning, prescriptive grammar, pronouns.)

Type
Articles: Social Assumptions of English Style
Information
Language in Society , Volume 4 , Issue 2 , August 1975 , pp. 129 - 146
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1975

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Aicken, J. (1693). The English grammar. Menston, England: Scolar Press Facsimile.Google Scholar
Bloomfield, M. &Newmark, L. (1967). A linguistic introduction to the history of English. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. Chapter VII.Google Scholar
Blumenthal, J. & Warriner, J. (1964). English workshop, grades 9, 10, II, 12. New York: Harcourt, Brace and World.Google Scholar
Bodine, A. (1974). English third person pronouns. Paper read at the 73rd Annual Meeting of the American Anthropological Association, Mexico City.Google Scholar
Brooks, C. &; Warren, R. P. (1958). Modern rhetoric. New York: Harcourt, Brace and World.Google Scholar
Brown, R. & Gilman, A. (1960). The pronouns of power and solidarity. In Sebeok, T. (ed.), Style in language. Cambridge: M.I.T. Press. 253–76.Google Scholar
Buchanan, J. (1762). The British grammar. Menston, England: Scolar Press Facsimile.Google Scholar
Christ, H. (1961). Heath handbook of English, grades 7, 8, 9, 10. Boston: HeathGoogle Scholar
Collyer, J. (1735). The general principles of grammar. Menston, England: Scolar Press Facsimile.Google Scholar
Conklin, N. F. (1973). Perspectives on the dialects of women. Presented at the 1973 meeting of the American Dialect Society, Ann Arbor.Google Scholar
Conlin, D. & Herman, G. (1965). Modern grammar and composition, books 1, 2, 3. New York: American Book Co.Google Scholar
Curme, G. O. (1931 A grammar of the English language. Vol. III (Syntax). Boston: D. C. Heath.Google Scholar
Evans, B. & Evans, C. (1957). A dictionary of contemporary American usage. New York: Random House.Google Scholar
Fowler, H. W. (1926). A dictionary of modern English usage. Second revised edition, 1965. New York: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Friedrich, P. (1966). Structural implications of Russian pronominal usage. In Bright, W. (ed.), Sociolinguistics: proceedings of the UCLA Sociolinguistic Conference, 1964. The Hague: Mouton.Google Scholar
Gildon, C. & Brighton, J. (1711). A grammar of the English tongue. MenstonM, England: Scolar Press Facsimile.Google Scholar
Gouldner, A. (1972). The politics of the mind. Social Policy 2 (6): 5–58.Google Scholar
Greaves, P. (1594). Grammatica Anglicana. Menston, England: Scolar Press Facsimile.Google Scholar
Greene, H. A., Loomis, K. A., Davis, P. C., and Biedenharn, N. W. (1965). Building better English, grades 8, 9, 10. New York: Harper and Row.Google Scholar
Grimshaw, A. D. (19732013;1974). On language and society: parts I and II. Contemporary Society 2 (6). 575–83; 3 (1). 3–11.Google Scholar
Haag, L. (19652013;1968). Guidebook to better English, books 1, 2, 3, 4. Oklahoma City: Educational Guidelines Co.Google Scholar
Hymes, D. (1961). Linguistic aspects of cross-cultural personality study. In Kaplan, B. (ed.), Studying personality cross-culturally. New York: Harper and Row. 313–60.Google Scholar
Jesperson, O. (1938). Growth and structure of the English language (1968 edition). New York: Free Press.Google Scholar
Key, M. R. (1972). Linguistic behavior of male and female. Linguistics 88. 15–31.Google Scholar
Kirby, J. (1746). A new English grammar. Menston, England: Scolar Press Facsimile.Google Scholar
Kocher, M. (1967). Second person pronouns in Serbo-Croatian. Language 43. 725–41.Google Scholar
Labov, W. (1972). Sociolinguistic patterns. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press.Google Scholar
Lakoff, R. (1973). Language and woman0027;s place. LinS 2. 45–79.Google Scholar
Lane, A. (1700). A key to the art of letters. Menston, England: Scolar Press Facsimile.Google Scholar
Leonard, S. A. (1929). The doctrine of correctness in English usage, 1700–1800. Madison: University of Wisconsin Studies in Language and Literature.Google Scholar
Leonard, S. A. (1932). Current English usage. Chicago: Inland Press.Google Scholar
Lowth, R. (1762). A short introduction to English grammar. Menston, England: Scolar Press Facsimile.Google Scholar
McCawley, J. Letter to the editor. The New York Times Magazine,10 10.Google Scholar
McKnight, G. H. (1925). Conservatism in American speech. American Speech 1. 1–17.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McKnight, G. H. (1928). Modern English in the making. New-York: Appleton and Company.Google Scholar
Murray, L. (1795). English grammar. Menston, England: Scolar Press Facsimile.Google Scholar
Paulston, C. B. (1971). Language universals and socio-cultural implications in deviant usage: personal questions in Swedish. Paper read at the 46th Annual Meeting of the Linguistic Society of America, St. Louis.Google Scholar
Paulston, C. B. &Featheringham, T. R. (1974). Language and social class: pronouns of address in Swedish. Paper read at the 49th Annual Meeting of the Linguistic Society of America, New York.Google Scholar
Poole, J. (1646). The English accidence. Menston, England: Scolar Press Facsimile.Google Scholar
Poutsma, H. (1916). A grammar of late modern English. Groningen: P. Noordhoof.Google Scholar
Priestly, J. (1761). The rudiments of English grammar. Menston, England: Scolar Press Facsimile.Google Scholar
Rendon, B. (1973). ‘Tu’ and ‘vous’: pronominal usage in French literature. Paper presented at the 35th Summer Meeting of the Linguistic Society of America, Ann Arbor.Google Scholar
Roberts, P. (1967). The Roberts English series. New York: Harcourt, Brace and World.Google Scholar
Rogers, R. & Stewart, P. (1967). Keys to English mastery, grades 9, 10, 11, 12. Oklahoma City: The Economy Co.Google Scholar
Rubin, J. (1972). Language planning offers new insights into the nature of language change. Paper presented at the 71st Annual Meeting of the American Anthropological Association, Toronto. In Sanches, M. and Blount, B. (eds), Ritual reality and innovation in language use: new directions in anthropological linguistics. New York: Seminar Press. (Forthcoming.)Google Scholar
Sampson, G. P. (1973). Sociolinguistic aspects of pronoun usage in Middle English. Paper presented at the IXth International Congress of Anthropological and Ethnological Sciences, Chicago. In McCormack, W. C. (ed.), Language in many ways. Language in anthropology series. The Hague: Mouton.(In press.)Google Scholar
Saxon, S. (1737). The English scholar0027;s assistant. Menston, England: Scolar Press Facsimile.Google Scholar
Tressler, J. C., Christ, H. I. & Starkey, M. (1960). English in action, books 1, 2, 3, 4. Lexington, Mass.: Heath.Google Scholar
Visser, F. Th. (1963). An historical syntax of the English language. Leiden: E. J. Brill.Google Scholar
Wallis, J. (1653). Grammatica lingvae Anglicanae. Translated by Kemp, J. A., 1972. London: Longman.Google Scholar
Ward, W. (1765). An essay on grammar. Menston, England: Scolar Press Facsimile.Google Scholar
Wharton, J. (1654). The English grammar. Menston, England: Scolar Press Facsimile.Google Scholar
White, R. G. 1880). Everyday English. Boston: Houghton, Mifihin and Company.Google Scholar
White, R. G. (1886). Words and their uses. Boston: Houghton, Mifiuin and Company.Google Scholar
Wilson, T.Arte of rhetorique. Gainsville: Scholars Facsimiles and Reprints, 1962. Also, Mair edition, 1909. Oxford: Clarendon Press.Google Scholar