The American online dictionary Merriam-Webster had already designated it as word of the year 2019 last December. The neutral pronoun "they", used in English by people who refuse the male / female categories, is now the word of the decade 2010-2019. This is the decision made Friday in New Orleans by the American Dialect Society , which studies the evolution of the language.
The Word of the Decade 2010-2019 is gender-neutral singular "they"! #wordofthedecade # woty19
- American Dialect Society (@americandialect) January 4, 2020"When a fundamental part of language like pronouns becomes a vital indicator of trends in society, linguists prick up their ears," said linguist Ben Zimmer, who chaired the votes of members of this American organization founded in 1889 on Friday.
In front of "MeToo" or "selfie"
The American Dialect Society had already prepared the ground, because before designating "they" word of the decade, it had chosen it as "word of the year" in 2015. For the past ten years, "they" succeeds "Google" for the decade 2000-2009, and "web" for the years 1990-1999. And for 2010-2019, he notably beat “BlackLivesMatter”, “MeToo”, “selfie” or even “climate”.
Proof of the growing importance of these issues, non-binary people are increasingly visible in television series and the world of entertainment. Another illustration: Apple has also recently added “neutral” emoticons, the gender of which cannot be distinguished, in the latest version of its operating system.
Culture
Neutral pronoun "they" is the word of the year, according to the American dictionary Merriam-Webster
People
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