They

history

They () is a third-person, personal pronoun (subject case) in Modern English.

Usage

The "singular" they is the use of this pronoun, where they is used as a gender-neutral singular rather than plural pronoun. The correctness of this usage is disputed. »All-Purpose Pronoun, Patricia T. O’Conner and Steward Kellerman»Dictionary.com definition: "they"; see usage note.

The singular pronoun they is even found in formal or official texts. For example, a 2008 amendment to the Canadian Criminal Code contains the following text:

if a peace officer has reasonable grounds to believe that, because of '''their physical condition, a person may be incapable of providing a breath sample...'' (subparagraph 254(3)(a)(ii))
Which contrasts, for example, with subsection 252(2):
...evidence that an accused failed to stop '''his vehicle... and give his name and address is, in the absence of evidence to the contrary, proof of an intent to escape civil or criminal liability.''

Etymology

They "The People"

Taken from "You know what "they" say..."
  • "They" refers to the masses of those who are among the pop culture. "They" quote sayings of individuals who could put complex events into understandable context; believing that what "they" have just quoted would justify an event or action which had just occurred.
  • "They" may also refer to the government, the powers that be, or society at large.

See also

References

home | This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. See full license termsIt uses material from the Wikipedia article "They ". | compliance | March 11th 2010