In a case of grammatical form following function, the American Dialect Society voted “they”, used as a gender-neutral singular pronoun, as 2015’s word of the year. The selection may have some traditionalists clutching their pearls, but the recognition validates the singular pronoun’s utility and reflects our shifting social landscape.

Truth in Language

Language is a bedrock of communication, and we rely on words to clarify and express our myriad of messages. Therefore, it’s important that our tools are precise. Although many of the world’s languages don’t have gender-specific pronouns, English is an exception. Until recently, most editors would have stricken the use of “they” as a legitimate substitute for “he” or “she” or “their” in place of “his” or “hers”. Although “they” is gender-neutral, it’s traditionally been used to denote a plurality, which leaves many in the lurch when they require a singular pronoun to describe a person whose gender is unknown or unspecified.

Beyond the Binary

In these instances, the default singular pronoun was the masculine form until the end of the 20^th century. Style manuals and textbooks used “he” and “his” for all instances when a singular pronoun was needed and gender was unknown. Copy editors or grammarians would find sentences that included “he or she” and “his or hers” too cumbersome, thereby relegating the female-gendered pronoun unnecessary. But this proved unacceptable or even controversial to a growing number of people who insist on evolving beyond the linguistic binary.

The singular use of “they” has long been used in conversation, throughout North America, Britain and Australia. Even when the gender of the person is known, “they” allows for a more generic rather than individualized usage. Shakespeare provides an apt example in his Comedy of Errors:

There’s not a man I meet but doth salute me

As if I were their well-acquainted friend

Evolution and Revolution

The cited problem with using “he” as a universal singular pronoun is the inferred male bias. In this millennial generation where transgender rights are coming into the fray, gender fluidity is gaining momentum and gender equity continues to be an issue, designating “they” as a gender-neutral singular pronoun is a symbolic gesture that the linguistic landscape is striving to reflect our societal strides.

Use of “they” to denote a single person dates back to the 14^th century, and is common in spoken English. With literary forebearers like Shakespeare, Chaucer and Austen employing its use, it’s not as if anyone’s storming the grammatical barricades or codifying new language. Although the American Dialect Society has no official capacity to indoctrinate the usage of “they” as a singular pronoun, the 127 year-old organization highlights that how we use language is subject to change, and that change isn’t a bad thing at all.

Heather Candon is a writer living in New York.