Re: Translating and Inclusive Language
Carl W. Conrad (cwconrad@artsci.wustl.edu)
Thu, 4 Sep 1997 10:14:18 -0500
At 10:10 AM -0500 9/4/97, Nichael Cramer wrote:
>McKay family wrote:
>
>> 4th september, 1997
>> Mark comments:
>> The enormous problem is of course the lack of an
>> > inclusive word in English to render him / her etc.
>>
>> 'Whoever has ears to hear, let THEM hear' etc. ... at
>> > least [it's] proper English. [paraphrased Metzger]
>>
>> But is this proper English?
>>
>> I cringe at the disagreement between the first clause and the second.
>
>A teacher once framed this issue as a choice between getting the number
>wrong and getting the gender wrong. In short, you're going to be wrong
>one way or the other.
>
>The real problem, of course, is that there simply _isn't_ a way to say this
>in gramaical English.
I've seen "s/he" used without its seeming very jarring in the nominative,
but there isn't any comparable possessive or objective form.
Carl W. Conrad
Department of Classics/Washington University
One Brookings Drive/St. Louis, MO, USA 63130/(314) 935-4018
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