Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site duke.UUCP
Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!harvard!godot!mit-eddie!genrad!decvax!mcnc!duke!bek
From: bek@duke.UUCP (Barrett E. Koster)
Newsgroups: net.women
Subject: Re: A Small Victory; Not at All
Message-ID: <5587@duke.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 20-Mar-85 14:03:42 EST
Article-I.D.: duke.5587
Posted: Wed Mar 20 14:03:42 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 24-Mar-85 04:26:12 EST
References: <824@druxo.UUCP> <269@mhuxr.UUCP> <825@druxo.UUCP>
Reply-To: bek@duke.UUCP (Barry E. Koster)
Organization: Duke University
Lines: 19
Summary: inclusive 'he' was legislated (?)

In article <825@druxo.UUCP> nap@druxo.UUCP 
Nancy Parsons questions Marcel Simon's response to her 
original posting (etc.) on 'they' vs. 'she or he'....   
legislated vs. grass root origin, etc.  

As a current student in linguistics, I could debate the validity of
various types of origins of words (but I won't).

What I want to say is that I heard a rumor that 'he' was in fact
legislated (England 5 centuries ago) to be non gender specific.
In this case, the particular government's action has
resulted in a terrible disservice to women.  However, isn't it the
role of government to do things that can only be done if everyone
does it?  (changing standard unit of measure, money, anti-
polution campaigns...)  I mean, couldn't the govt. just decide on 
a pronoun now and legislate it into existence?  We obviously
need one.

Barry    duke!bek