Lexicon Valley The Story of Us
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Apr 22, 2025 Dive into the fascinating evolution of pronouns, exploring the rich history of 'thou' and its misrepresentation in pop culture. Discover how the term 'man' has transformed over time, highlighting its implications for identity. The conversation also touches on the modern journey of language, from 'yeet' to gender-neutral pronouns, capturing the interplay between linguistic changes and cultural expression in music. Engage with thought-provoking ideas about the complexities of pronoun usage today!
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Old English Gender-Neutral Pronoun
- Old English had no separate pronoun "she"; it used "hea" which sounded very similar to "he."
- This resulted in a kind of early gender-neutral pronoun where "he" could mean both "he" and "she."
Origin of "She" Pronoun
- The pronoun "she" likely evolved from the Old English feminine demonstrative pronoun "seah," meaning "that one."
- This points to gendered pronouns developing from general demonstrative pronouns in Indo-European languages.
McCain's 'That One' Anecdote
- John McWhorter recounts John McCain's 2008 debate moment where McCain referred to Barack Obama as "that one."
- This highlights how demonstrative pronouns used to form "she" could sound abrupt or awkward today.
