Tell it apart
| Aspect | Generic they | Nonbinary they |
|---|---|---|
| Refers to | Anyone, someone, a person | A specific known person |
| Example | Everyone brought their own lunch | This is Jay; I met them at work |
| In use since | 14th century | Early 21st century |
| Word of the Year | Not as such | ADS 2015, Merriam-Webster 2019 |
Both are singular. Generic they stands in for an unknown or unspecified person and is centuries old. Nonbinary they refers to a particular, known person who uses it as their pronoun, and became common in the 21st century.
What it doesn't mean
It has been used for a single person of unspecified gender since the 14th century. Writers including Austen and Shakespeare used it. What is newer, from the early 21st century, is its use for a specific known person who is nonbinary.
Some used to. By 2020 most major style guides, including APA, AP and The Chicago Manual of Style, accepted singular they.
What it really means
They is one of the oldest words ever named Word of the Year, and the reason it won is quite new.
Using they for one person is not a modern change. It goes back to the 14th century, about a century after plural they appeared in English. Writers from Shakespeare to Jane Austen used it for "someone" or "everyone". In the mid-18th century, prescriptive grammarians began to call it an error, and the 19th century pushed generic he in its place. Everyday speakers kept using singular they anyway.
The new part came in the 21st century: they used for a specific, known person who is nonbinary, as in "This is my friend Jay; I met them at work." The American Dialect Society named that use its Word of the Year for 2015, as "a gender-neutral singular pronoun for a known person, particularly as a nonbinary identifier". In 2020 it went further and named they its Word of the Decade for the 2010s.
Merriam-Webster chose they for 2019. Its reasons were data and a dictionary change. Lookups of the word on Merriam-Webster.com rose 313% on the year before. In September 2019 the dictionary had added the nonbinary sense to its entry. Merriam-Webster also noted the word's long history, pointing out that they has filled the gap left by English's lack of a gender-neutral singular pronoun for over 600 years. Its editor at large said he was surprised that such a familiar word had been so widely discussed.
In practice the grammar is simple. Singular they takes plural verb forms, as singular you does: "they are", never "they is". Style guides have mostly caught up. By 2020 the APA, AP and Chicago manuals all accepted it.
Where it comes from
- 14th century
They is used with a singular antecedent, about a century after plural they appears in English.
- Mid-18th century
Prescriptive grammarians begin to criticise singular they as an error. The 19th century promotes generic 'he' instead.
- Early 21st century
They comes into use for specific, known individuals who are nonbinary.
- For 2015
The American Dialect Society names they its Word of the Year for 2015, in the sense of a gender-neutral singular pronoun for a known person.
- September 2019
Merriam-Webster adds the nonbinary sense of they to its dictionary.
- 10 December 2019
Merriam-Webster names they its 2019 Word of the Year after a 313% rise in lookups.
- 2020
The American Dialect Society names they its Word of the Decade for the 2010s.
In real life
- If anyone calls while I'm out, tell them I'll ring back after lunch.
- This is Sam, my new flatmate. They're a nurse, so don't be surprised if they're asleep at noon.
- Every student should hand in their essay by Friday.
Questions
Q01Is singular they grammatically correct?
Yes. It has been part of English since the 14th century, and by 2020 most major style guides, including APA, AP and The Chicago Manual of Style, accepted it. Some 18th- and 19th-century grammarians objected and promoted generic 'he' instead.
Q02Why was they Merriam-Webster's Word of the Year 2019?
Lookups of 'they' on Merriam-Webster.com rose 313% on 2018. That year Merriam-Webster also added the sense of they used for a person whose gender identity is nonbinary.
Q03Do you say 'they is' or 'they are' for one person?
'They are'. Singular they takes the same verb forms as plural they, just as singular 'you' does: 'you are', never 'you is'.
Q04Is it themself or themselves?
Both are used. Themselves is more common. Themself is recorded from the 14th to the 16th centuries and has been increasing since the 1970s or 1980s. It can sound more natural when the reference is clearly to one person.
Sources
- Merriam Webster Names 'They' as Its Word of the Year for 2019. TIME (10 December 2019).
- Merriam-Webster unveils its 2019 word of the year: 'They'. CBS News / AP (10 December 2019).
- All of the Words of the Year, 1990 to present (2015 Word of the Year; Word of the Decade 2010–2019): American Dialect Society.
- Singular they: Wikipedia.