From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.0 (2014-02-07) on aws-us-west-2-korg-lkml-1.web.codeaurora.org X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-5.8 required=3.0 tests=BAYES_00,DKIM_SIGNED, DKIM_VALID,DKIM_VALID_AU,HEADER_FROM_DIFFERENT_DOMAINS,MAILING_LIST_MULTI, SPF_HELO_NONE,SPF_PASS autolearn=no autolearn_force=no version=3.4.0 Received: from mail.kernel.org (mail.kernel.org [198.145.29.99]) by smtp.lore.kernel.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 1DF0CC48BD1 for ; Fri, 11 Jun 2021 00:16:16 +0000 (UTC) Received: from vger.kernel.org (vger.kernel.org [23.128.96.18]) by mail.kernel.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 0448E613CF for ; Fri, 11 Jun 2021 00:16:15 +0000 (UTC) Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id S231368AbhFKASL (ORCPT ); Thu, 10 Jun 2021 20:18:11 -0400 Received: from pb-smtp2.pobox.com ([64.147.108.71]:51309 "EHLO pb-smtp2.pobox.com" rhost-flags-OK-OK-OK-OK) by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id S230247AbhFKASL (ORCPT ); Thu, 10 Jun 2021 20:18:11 -0400 Received: from pb-smtp2.pobox.com (unknown [127.0.0.1]) by pb-smtp2.pobox.com (Postfix) with ESMTP id 42419CA17F; Thu, 10 Jun 2021 20:16:14 -0400 (EDT) (envelope-from junio@pobox.com) DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed; d=pobox.com; h=from:to:cc :subject:references:date:in-reply-to:message-id:mime-version :content-type; s=sasl; bh=D4SnfcOJMbQ7K9LShD5mu2XnDLEswNBLvy6Dow E1JPw=; b=jsAOh6Bq7r6IfOEJACv5JgVs0ps+UljXMMWqhao28CUanzGiY4ydx1 jL1XzudRgPcVzJJLjur1eN0z3sm6x/j7GHzD3D2lqRIlj+rK7IVcRNYswTNiGEv3 BkmN8kqu6jrKhFG3TxbdlRQERLMhl5ZGJtwKujSrA5r8Egzrfz/Eo= Received: from pb-smtp2.nyi.icgroup.com (unknown [127.0.0.1]) by pb-smtp2.pobox.com (Postfix) with ESMTP id 37ECCCA17E; Thu, 10 Jun 2021 20:16:14 -0400 (EDT) (envelope-from junio@pobox.com) Received: from pobox.com (unknown [104.196.172.107]) (using TLSv1.2 with cipher ECDHE-RSA-AES256-GCM-SHA384 (256/256 bits)) (No client certificate requested) by pb-smtp2.pobox.com (Postfix) with ESMTPSA id AB8F8CA17D; Thu, 10 Jun 2021 20:16:13 -0400 (EDT) (envelope-from junio@pobox.com) From: Junio C Hamano To: Derrick Stolee Cc: Phillip Susi , Felipe Contreras , Derrick Stolee via GitGitGadget , git@vger.kernel.org, sandals@crustytoothpaste.net, jrnieder@gmail.com, emilyshaffer@google.com, Derrick Stolee , Derrick Stolee Subject: Re: [PATCH 1/4] Documentation: use singular they when appropriate References: <60be91757c6ca_db80d2086e@natae.notmuch> <87czsu98ar.fsf@vps.thesusis.net> <790688e5-6816-9837-85e7-2fdbbdf24169@gmail.com> Date: Fri, 11 Jun 2021 09:16:13 +0900 In-Reply-To: <790688e5-6816-9837-85e7-2fdbbdf24169@gmail.com> (Derrick Stolee's message of "Thu, 10 Jun 2021 14:30:04 -0400") Message-ID: User-Agent: Gnus/5.13 (Gnus v5.13) Emacs/27.2 (gnu/linux) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain X-Pobox-Relay-ID: 3B5BF7B0-CA4A-11EB-BC73-FD8818BA3BAF-77302942!pb-smtp2.pobox.com Precedence: bulk List-ID: X-Mailing-List: git@vger.kernel.org Derrick Stolee writes: > Singular "they" works the same as singular "you". For example: > > ...means that _you are_ completely satisfied... > > Singular "you" had a similar backlash in the 1660s as singular "they" > is having in this thread, but singular "you" has lasted (and we use > "thou" only to signify someone using old-timey language). > > There is more of this in [1] and [2] > > [1] https://public.oed.com/blog/a-brief-history-of-singular-they/ > [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T%E2%80%93V_distinction#English Thanks for references. [1] was an amusing and illuminating read. ... Anyone who said thou and thee was seen as a fool and an idiot, or a Quaker, or at least hopelessly out of date. Singular you has become normal and unremarkable. Also unremarkable are the royal we and, in countries without a monarchy, the editorial we: first-person plurals used regularly as singulars and nobody calling anyone an idiot and a fool. And singular they is well on its way to being normal and unremarkable as well.