Culture War aside, that's not how language works. You have as much understanding to the history of language as you have basic dignity to other human beings.

[–] [email protected] 20 points 3 months ago

Believe it or not, languages change over time. They grow and adapt to fit their context.

[–] WorkIsSlow 18 points 3 months ago

Leave language alone motherfuckers not speaking in Old English. smh

[–] [email protected] 9 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Looks like you're getting a lot of people riled up here.

I'm curious about why you find it so objectionable for someone to choose their pronouns but are fine with name changes.

[+] kitnaht -3 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (1 children)

[removed by mod]

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 months ago

Because the rules of the English language are the same for everybody. You don't just get to go around telling people they have to use a different ruleset for you or when they are around you. It's pretentious as fuck to expect people to cater their use of the language like that. That's exactly what names are for.

Certainly, the rules of the English language exist for a reason. For me, that's to communicate and convey information. If you unilaterally decide to change the language, then your words can fail to communicate what you intend. Although, I don't think that applies here. Correct me if you think otherwise.

If anything, it seems like the "new" pronoun rules you see today are people trying to enforce the standard English rules. He/she communicates someone's gender presentation. If you refer to "him" between someone who looks masculine versus feminine, then you'll assume that the "him" refers to the one that's masculine-presenting. That's how English usually works, and it works this way to allow us more efficient communication. Of course, this doesn't work 100% of the time because there are many axes and a gradient on each of these axes between what we consider masculine or feminine. What would the English language dictate when you're near one extreme on some axes and the other extreme on others? I don't believe we have any well defined and useful rules for this besides the preference of the person it's referring to. Again, do correct me if I get anything wrong.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 3 months ago (1 children)

But... you can change all of those things, adverbs, participles, adjectives, predicates, you can change all of them by changing your behaviour and characteristics... You can't even get your own stupid arguments to be correct.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 3 months ago

Bold take, here on Lemmy. Let's see how it goes for them

[–] FlyingSquid 7 points 3 months ago (1 children)

You don’t get to change your adverbs, participles, adjectives, predicates, etc.

Says who? You? Are you the arbiter of language?

I’ll call you Mrs. I’ll call you Mr. But the rest, nuh uh.

Really? Not even Ms.? Because I imagine a lot of younger women would feel pretty insulted by you calling them Mrs.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 3 months ago

nuh uh.

Newfangled terminology

Thoughts on prescribing use of the OG word only?

You don't get to change your adverbs, participles, adjectives, predicates, etc.

True, not in repressive societies. And look, I have limits, I’ll be hard pressed to refer to someone as squirrelkinlifragilisticexpialidocious every time. But you’d made a reasonable accommodation in polite company I figure?