[Ads-l] First-ever court-ordered pronoun?

[Ben Zimmer]

On Fri, Mar 6, 2015 at 11:23 PM, Salikoko S. Mufwene wrote:

[ https://illinois.edu/blog/view/25/136599 ]

> Unless I read the blog too fast, I think Dennis does not discuss the
> problem with the emphatic/reflexive form when /them/ has a singular
> referent. Should it be /themself/, as I recently heard somebody say on
> the radio, or /themselves/?

Stan Carey has written eloquently in support of "themself":

https://stancarey.wordpress.com/2012/05/31/reflecting-on-the-reflexive-pronoun-themself/
https://stancarey.wordpress.com/2014/01/23/the-unsung-value-of-singular-themself/

--bgz

-- 
Ben Zimmer
http://benzimmer.com/

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