What's Your Pronoun?: Beyond He and She [Hardcover]

Addressing one of the most pressing cultural questions of our generation, Dennis Baron reveals the untold story of how we got from A scrupulous and absorbing survey. Its great virtue is to show that these issues are nothing new& This scholarly assiduousness, though, also makes him the ideal pilot through these contentious political-linguistic waters. If you want to know why more people are asking whats your pronoun? then you (singular or plural) should read this book. Into the breach comes a useful corrective in the form of Dennis Barons well-timed new book. Based on decades of research, Barons masterly work documents the historical and continued importance of personal pronouns. Those interested in gender politics or English grammar, or who feel that 'he' and 'she' are inadequate, would benefit greatly from perusing this book. A thorough history of pronoun debates.... Guggenheim fellow Baron examines what seems like a contemporary question with a historical lens. In this primer, he reveals a centuries-long search for a singular gender-neutral pronoun in English, dispelling persistent myths that such a quest is a recent effort or the product of politically correct motivations.... The author's playful tone imbues the text with friendly sensitivity, and readers will appreciate his decades of research and meticulous attention to documents and sources. The result is a book that reflects the transformational capacity of language. A lively book for language lovers, those confused about uses of they/them, and anyone curious about writing while gendered. A deep dive all the way back to the first English grammars of the seventeenth century.... [Baron] concludes with a flourish: an ?berambitious, 58-page chronology of gender-neutral and nonbinary pronouns. Esoteric? Yes, but catnip for the grammarian, especially the culturally and politically conscious variety. An entertaining and thoroughly documented account of two centuries worth of attempts to solve the problem lÓV