A Way with Words | Gender-neutral language

Bug in Your Ear (episode #1537)

Posted by Grant Barrett on December 9, 2019 · Add Comment

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Mixing Up He and She in English as a Non-Native Speaker

Posted by Grant Barrett on December 7, 2019 · 1 Comment

Sayed lives in Houston, Texas, but grew up in Pakistan speaking Urdu and Punjabi. As someone who began learning English two years ago, he finds that he often mixes up gendered pronouns. It’s not surprising that he would confuse he with she and him with her, however, since his native language doesn’t designate gendered pronouns [...]
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Gender Neutral Term for Nieces and Nephews

Posted by Grant Barrett on May 11, 2019 · Add Comment

Emily from Madison, Wisconsin, has three nieces and a nephew, and wonders if there’s a gender-neutral term for the group of them, in the same way cousins can designate one or two genders. German has the single word Geschwisterkind, meaning “a child of a brother or sister,” English doesn’t have a single established term for [...]
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Singular “They” and “Their” Take a Plural Verb

Posted by Grant Barrett on March 3, 2018 · Add Comment

The parent of a highschooler in Madison, Wisconsin, says that at the beginning of each semester, when her daughter’s classmates introduce themselves and their preferred pronouns, gender-neutral students often say their pronouns are they and their. Linguist Denis Baron has compiled an extensive list of other epicene pronouns. WHen they and their are applied to [...]
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Hot Dog, Cold Turkey

Posted by Grant Barrett on December 23, 2017 · 1 Comment

Why do we call a frankfurter a hot dog? It seems an unsettling 19th-century rumor is to blame. Also, if someone quits something abruptly, why do we say they quit cold turkey? This term’s roots may lie in the history of boxing. Plus, a transgender listener with nieces and nephews is looking for a gender-neutral [...]
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Gender Neutral Term for Aunt and Uncle?

Posted by Grant Barrett on May 29, 2017 · Add Comment

A transgender and gender-nonconforming listener wonders if there’s a gender-neutral term for “aunt” or “uncle.” Some people have suggested pibling, meaning the “sibling of one’s parent.” Others have proposed baba, titi, bibi, zizi, unty or untie, or simply cousin. In the same way that kids often come up with a pet name for their grandparents, [...]
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