Re: response to Dave Matuszek

["Arthur W. Protin Jr." (GC-ACCURATE) <cbmvax!uunet!PICA.ARMY.MIL!protin>]

Folks,
    Steven Mesnick <pro-angmar!steffan@alfalfa.com> offers this:
> Just one thing: English hasn't changed in 400 years? How about the use of
> the 3rd person plural as a neuter 3rd person singular? ("When a person uses
> the masculine to include the feminine, THEY ARE being sexist"). This usage
> has become very common recently, to the extent that, I daresay, it can no
> longer be consider "incorrect". That's just one example.
    What an interesting idea.  But I am sure that when I first hear
I will, repeat will, reject it as incorrect grammar.  This change may
yet happen, but it is so uncommon now that it is too early to tell.
I will doubt that it is a significant development until it starts to
show up in the popular press (NYtimes, LATimes, Boston Glob, WSJ,
NYNewsday, the Post, etc) and/or popular TV and/or government 
pronouncements.

    thank you,
    Art


Arthur Protin <protin@pica.army.mil>
These are my personal views and do not reflect those of my boss
or this installation.