NEW YORK – On college campuses and in workplaces, gender-neutral pronouns are more than just a new wave of political correctness. They're the focus of debate that stretches back hundreds of years.
University of Illinois language historian Dennis Baron says early pronoun scrappers were usually more concerned with grammatical correctness over a keen commitment to inclusivity in avoiding the generic "he" and singular "they" as a replacement.
In 1884, the invented pronoun "thon" was publicized by the coiner, C.C. Converse, as an expedient pronoun for all genders.
This time around, "they" and "them" seem to be winning the race of acceptance as gender neutrals. Baron says time will tell whether they're afforded broad acceptance.
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