09-29-2019, 11:57 PM
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An historical aside,
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The singular they had emerged by the 14th century, about a century after plural they. It has been commonly employed in everyday English ever since then, and has gained currency in official contexts, though it has been strongly criticized at least since the late-19th century by prescriptive experts as they deem it to be an "error". Its use in modern standard English has become more common and accepted with the trend toward gender-neutral language, though most style guides continue to discourage it, considering it colloquial and less appropriate in formal writing.
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