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Path: utzoo!watmath!watdcsu!dmcanzi
From: dmcanzi@watdcsu.UUCP (David Canzi)
Newsgroups: net.women
Subject: Re: ``They'' vs. ``one'' vs. nothing
Message-ID: <1266@watdcsu.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 19-Apr-85 04:46:13 EST
Article-I.D.: watdcsu.1266
Posted: Fri Apr 19 04:46:13 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 20-Apr-85 04:12:56 EST
References: <2379@randvax.UUCP> <291@mhuxr.UUCP> <2396@randvax.UUCP> <182@spar.UUCP> <300@mhuxr.UUCP>
Reply-To: dmcanzi@watdcsu.UUCP (David Canzi)
Organization: U of Waterloo, Ontario
Lines: 36
Summary: 

In article <300@mhuxr.UUCP> mfs@mhuxr.UUCP (SIMON) writes:
>> Michael Ellis:
>>     A. When you see Bill's secretary, be sure you give him/her my memo.
>> 
>>        Here, the pronoun has anaphoric use; it refers to a previously
>>        mentioned specific noun. Which of the below sentences is 
>>        is more natural?
>> 
>>     B. When you see Bill's secretary, be sure you give them my memo.
>>     C. When you see Bill's secretary, be sure you give one my memo.
>
>How about phrasing the sentence as:
>	Be sure to give Bill's secretary my memo.

I think orthogonality is important in spoken languages, for the same
reason it's important in programming languages: it reduces the amount
of mental effort you have to devote to the form of what you say, so
you can concentrate on content.  Content is the part that counts.

It's too much to expect that, in casual day-to-day conversation, we
should have to go to all the trouble of rearranging the words of a
sentence the way you suggest.  What the English language needs (the
orthogonal solution) is a third-person singular neuter pronoun which
can be used anaphorically.

We actually have such a beast in the word "it".  My version of the
above sentence would be:

	D. When you see Bill's secretary, be sure to give it my memo.

If we use the word "it" this way, we gain orthogonality.  We lose the
ability to distinguish people from objects by our choice of pronouns.
The French don't have this ability.  Has it crippled them in any way?
Do they ever wish their language provided it?
--
	David Canzi