#singular them

[neon-mooni]

"They/Them can't be singular! It's always been plural!" You know that random telemarketer that calls you? THEY'RE pretty annoying huh? You know that baby that hasn't been born yet? THEIR parents are excited to find out THEIR sex so that they can make a nursery for THEM.

[profeminist]

It's OK To Use "They" To Describe One Person: Here's Why

Has someone ever asked you to refer to them as they instead of him or her? Are you hedging because you can't possibly refer to one single person as they? What if we told you that they has been used to refer to just one person since at least the 1300s?

“Has someone ever asked you to refer to them as they instead of him or her? Are you hedging because you can’t possibly refer to one single person as they? What if we told you that they has been used to refer to just one person since at least the 1300s? 

They is often used as something called a plural pronoun, a word that’s used to describe multiple people, places, or things. They all read Dictionary.com, for example, would probably mean a bunch of really cool logophiles sat around on a Friday night looking for definitions together, right? (Hey, we tried).

But, they is not only a plural pronoun.

This chameleon word is also a singular pronoun, and it has been for centuries. Etymologists estimate that as far back as the 1300s, they has been used as a gender neutral pronoun, a word that was substituted in place of either he (a masculine singular pronoun) or she (a feminine singular pronoun).”

Dictionary.com: It’s OK To Use “They” To Describe One Person: Here’s Why