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Subject:Changing our Language From:Alexander Von_obert <avobert -at- TWH -dot- MSN -dot- SUB -dot- ORG> Date:Sun, 17 Dec 1995 17:02:00 +0100
Hello David,
* Antwort auf eine Nachricht von David Fisher an All am 17.12.95
DF> From: David Fisher <DAF -dot- DSKPO27B -at- dskbgw1 -dot- itg -dot- ti -dot- com>
DF> the use
DF> of the non-gender specific pronoun he -- as defined in common
DF> American-English
DF> usage -- is not sexist. It is, rather, proper usage as defined
DF> by our writing standards.
not only in English!
DF> It is our professional obligation to follow these rules in
DF> order to make our communication clear.
This is more specific than my "spoil the language". Thank you.
DF> The use of
DF> he/she and him/her simply obscures whatever message you are
DF> attempting to send in the chaff of political correctness.
I avoided PC because it is something we make jokes about over here.
DF> If you feel that your self-esteem is damaged by the use of the
DF> pronoun he, you
DF> should seek counseling for your problem, not try to change a
DF> language which has
DF> failed to damage many intelligent, dynamic, and successful
DF> women.
So I am not alone. But I have talked about this topic to several women in our
profession and they saw no reason to object the common usage of "he" and
comparable words.
DF> But, for the sake of a language that is under
DF> assault through
DF> ignorance, neglect, and in some cases deliberate malice, follow
DF> the current
DF> rules of American English and leave the changing of the
DF> language to lexicographers. It is their job.
So PLEASE back to more important issues. Bad language is around us. These
problems might have different biases in English and in German, but we all have
that problem.
Perhaps I should start another thread about much to easy acceptance of foreign
terms. If you would read a German computer magazine you might find a quite
familiar word in nearly every sentence. Technology advances so fast that no
universally accepted terms develop besides those introduced by the inventors
of the technology.
Greetings from Germany,
Alexander
--
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