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What's Your Pronoun?: Beyond He and She
Contextualizing one of the most pressing cultural questions of our generation, Dennis Baron reveals the untold story of how we got from he and she to zie and hir and singular-they.
Like trigger warnings and gender-neutral bathrooms, pronouns are sparking a national debate, prompting new policies in schools, workplaces, even prisons, about what pronouns to use. Colleges ask students to declare their pronouns along with their majors; corporate conferences print name tags with space to add pronouns; email signatures sport pronouns along with names and titles. Far more than a by-product of the culture wars, gender-neutral pronouns are, however, nothing new. Pioneering linguist Dennis Baron puts them in historical context, noting that Shakespeare used singular-they; women invoked the generic use of he to assert the right to vote (while those opposed to women's rights invoked the same word to assert that he did not include she); and people have been coining new gender pronouns, not just hir and zie, for centuries. Based on Baron's own empirical research, What's Your Pronoun? chronicles the story of the role pronouns have played-and continue to play-in establishing both our rights and our identities. It is an essential work in understanding how 21st-century culture has evolved.
Like trigger warnings and gender-neutral bathrooms, pronouns are sparking a national debate, prompting new policies in schools, workplaces, even prisons, about what pronouns to use. Colleges ask students to declare their pronouns along with their majors; corporate conferences print name tags with space to add pronouns; email signatures sport pronouns along with names and titles. Far more than a by-product of the culture wars, gender-neutral pronouns are, however, nothing new. Pioneering linguist Dennis Baron puts them in historical context, noting that Shakespeare used singular-they; women invoked the generic use of he to assert the right to vote (while those opposed to women's rights invoked the same word to assert that he did not include she); and people have been coining new gender pronouns, not just hir and zie, for centuries. Based on Baron's own empirical research, What's Your Pronoun? chronicles the story of the role pronouns have played-and continue to play-in establishing both our rights and our identities. It is an essential work in understanding how 21st-century culture has evolved.
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First published January 21, 2020
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About the author
Dennis Baron
16 books9 followersDennis Baron is professor of English and linguistics at the University of Illinois and has written books on the technologies of communication; language policy and reform; language legislation and minority language rights; gender issues in language; and the history and present state of the English language. He's the author of the blog "the Web of Language". He's regularly quoted in the news and appears frequently on radio and t.v. discussing the English language and the digital revolution.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 222 reviews
March 31, 2021
Lately we've been hearing a lot about pronouns and are even asked on some forms which pronouns we use for ourselves. There seem to be a lot of "new" pronouns that people use for themselves. I thought this was a recent thing, as society becomes more aware of nonbinary gender and ungendered people and we know that, as the author reminds us, "using appropriate pronouns has a positive affect on mental health".
It came as a surprise to me to learn that people have been trying to get a genderless third person pronoun into the English language for centuries. In What's Your Pronoun?: Beyond He and She, Dennis Baron takes us back through the years, detailing the efforts of many to include a genderless pronoun besides "it" which typically only refers to objects and is only used for people when belittling and dehumanizing them (slaves were often called "it"; likewise antisemites would refer to Jewish people by "it" rather than him or her).
Baron shows us the struggles of suffragettes to have a new pronoun rather than having women thrown under the umbrella "he" when referring to both women and men. Misogynists fought this of course. One man declared, "In former years, since Eden was depopulated, it has been the custom to generalize in the pronoun, using the masculine form whenever possible. That was in the days when a woman made no pretensions toward equality with man." This was untrue (not to mention disgusting!) as many languages have and have had genderless pronouns and even English did not always use this practice of grouping women in with men. It was interesting to note how often men were happy to say that penal codes referred to women as well as men even if it only mentioned men/he/him. However, when it came to such things as women running for office or voting, they insisted that the words men/him/he, etc did not include women.
Today most of us are happy using "they", "their", and "them" when we don't know the gender of someone, when there is a group of people, or when someone is nonbinary gender. Those who refuse to do so mainly refuse for religious reasons, saying that their freedom is being violated if they have to call someone by a pronoun other than the one that corresponds with the gender they were assigned at birth. I won't even get started on that but oh how they love to play the martyr even though it is they who are being hateful and harming others!
Moving along....
It is interesting to know that singular "they" has been used since at least 1375 - The Oxford English Dictionary traces it back to the medieval romance William and the Werewolf. People like Jane Austen, William Shakespeare, and Virginia Wolfe also made use of it.
Though there have been more than 250 pronouns coined (!), the author is clearly making the case for using they, their, and them. I personally agree with him except when it comes to books talking about a group of people that includes at least one nonbinary individual. It can get really confusing. Is the author writing about the entire group or just one person when they say "they" or "them"? I think we can get around that by simply using the person's name instead of "they" or "them" and yet I find that many authors do not do that and expect us to just know or take the extra time to figure out whom they're referring to. Annoying!
I'm glad I read this book because it was informative. However, it could have been condensed into a lengthy magazine article. There was a lot of repetition. The entire last chapter was a recap of all the different arguments and court cases that were already discussed in previous chapters. As it was, many of these were similar and it felt like re-reading the same thing over and over. I could have done with far fewer examples.
So.... 3 stars from me. Maybe 3.5. Not a bad book but I often grew bored with all the repetition.
It came as a surprise to me to learn that people have been trying to get a genderless third person pronoun into the English language for centuries. In What's Your Pronoun?: Beyond He and She, Dennis Baron takes us back through the years, detailing the efforts of many to include a genderless pronoun besides "it" which typically only refers to objects and is only used for people when belittling and dehumanizing them (slaves were often called "it"; likewise antisemites would refer to Jewish people by "it" rather than him or her).
Baron shows us the struggles of suffragettes to have a new pronoun rather than having women thrown under the umbrella "he" when referring to both women and men. Misogynists fought this of course. One man declared, "In former years, since Eden was depopulated, it has been the custom to generalize in the pronoun, using the masculine form whenever possible. That was in the days when a woman made no pretensions toward equality with man." This was untrue (not to mention disgusting!) as many languages have and have had genderless pronouns and even English did not always use this practice of grouping women in with men. It was interesting to note how often men were happy to say that penal codes referred to women as well as men even if it only mentioned men/he/him. However, when it came to such things as women running for office or voting, they insisted that the words men/him/he, etc did not include women.
Today most of us are happy using "they", "their", and "them" when we don't know the gender of someone, when there is a group of people, or when someone is nonbinary gender. Those who refuse to do so mainly refuse for religious reasons, saying that their freedom is being violated if they have to call someone by a pronoun other than the one that corresponds with the gender they were assigned at birth. I won't even get started on that but oh how they love to play the martyr even though it is they who are being hateful and harming others!
Moving along....
It is interesting to know that singular "they" has been used since at least 1375 - The Oxford English Dictionary traces it back to the medieval romance William and the Werewolf. People like Jane Austen, William Shakespeare, and Virginia Wolfe also made use of it.
Though there have been more than 250 pronouns coined (!), the author is clearly making the case for using they, their, and them. I personally agree with him except when it comes to books talking about a group of people that includes at least one nonbinary individual. It can get really confusing. Is the author writing about the entire group or just one person when they say "they" or "them"? I think we can get around that by simply using the person's name instead of "they" or "them" and yet I find that many authors do not do that and expect us to just know or take the extra time to figure out whom they're referring to. Annoying!
I'm glad I read this book because it was informative. However, it could have been condensed into a lengthy magazine article. There was a lot of repetition. The entire last chapter was a recap of all the different arguments and court cases that were already discussed in previous chapters. As it was, many of these were similar and it felt like re-reading the same thing over and over. I could have done with far fewer examples.
So.... 3 stars from me. Maybe 3.5. Not a bad book but I often grew bored with all the repetition.
January 23, 2020
This is exactly the kind of niche, nerdy history that I enjoy. It was fascinating to hear how English speakers and linguists have lamented the lack of a gender neutral personal singular pronoun for hundreds of years... "a missing word." It is equally interesting to see that speakers have consistently come back to "they" to serve this function since the 1300s. I appreciated Baron's breakdown of why, from a purely functional perspective, this gap has been one felt in day to day parlance, but also his exploration of the implications of the use of pronouns from roughly the 1700s onwards in the law, in politics, & in society.
January 24, 2022
2.5 stars? this isn’t /bad/, but i didn’t really learn anything. it takes a linguistic/historical approach to the ‘issue’ of gender-neutral pronouns, which makes it seem very detached (not shocking, considering the author is cis.) a lot of things that could’ve been delved into through a trans perspective were not looked at at all, and every mention of transness was very superficial and didn’t add much to the overall analysis of pronouns. i find myself mostly questioning why this book exists. like, what does it do that a trans historian or linguist couldn’t do better? the chronology at the end was the most interesting part, but the writing was overall pretty dry. i can’t think of a situation in which i would recommend this book.
April 4, 2020
Reviewed for The Bibliophibian.
What's Your Pronoun? discusses something that's on a lot of people's minds, for good or bad: the humble part of speech we call the pronoun. Despite what some idiots protest, everybody uses pronouns all the time: I, you, she, he, they... They're ubiquitous in speech and have been stirring up people's emotions for years, whether it be wanting a neutral indefinite pronoun (for when you don't know the gender of the person you're referring to), or perhaps (like me) wanting to be addressed using a definite neutral pronoun (when someone doesn't want to reveal their gender, or doesn't identify with any).
Barron mostly discusses the former, because that's something that he feels English is lacking (and which he has a fairly marked preference about, judging from this book). He goes over the numerous attempts to invent neutral pronouns, and some of the societal drivers behind that like denying women suffrage, getting used to women taking equal part in public life, and now the greater acceptance in Western society (the examples mostly stick to the US and the UK) of people who prefer to be gender-neutral.
It gets a little stodgy at times, personally, because I don't care exactly when every different neopronoun was coined, and I'm less interested in a neutral indefinite pronoun (which English speakers usually solve with singular "they", even if they believe that to be ungrammatical) than in a definite one. Baron is definitely behind singular they all the way, by the sounds of his arguments in this book, whether it be definite or indefinite: in answer to the cries of grammatical issues, he points out that singular "you" is a much more recent coinage, and one nobody even murmurs about these days.
I found it fairly readable, with some chapters being very absorbing and others getting a bit bogged down. If you're interested in grammar, I'd recommend it.
What's Your Pronoun? discusses something that's on a lot of people's minds, for good or bad: the humble part of speech we call the pronoun. Despite what some idiots protest, everybody uses pronouns all the time: I, you, she, he, they... They're ubiquitous in speech and have been stirring up people's emotions for years, whether it be wanting a neutral indefinite pronoun (for when you don't know the gender of the person you're referring to), or perhaps (like me) wanting to be addressed using a definite neutral pronoun (when someone doesn't want to reveal their gender, or doesn't identify with any).
Barron mostly discusses the former, because that's something that he feels English is lacking (and which he has a fairly marked preference about, judging from this book). He goes over the numerous attempts to invent neutral pronouns, and some of the societal drivers behind that like denying women suffrage, getting used to women taking equal part in public life, and now the greater acceptance in Western society (the examples mostly stick to the US and the UK) of people who prefer to be gender-neutral.
It gets a little stodgy at times, personally, because I don't care exactly when every different neopronoun was coined, and I'm less interested in a neutral indefinite pronoun (which English speakers usually solve with singular "they", even if they believe that to be ungrammatical) than in a definite one. Baron is definitely behind singular they all the way, by the sounds of his arguments in this book, whether it be definite or indefinite: in answer to the cries of grammatical issues, he points out that singular "you" is a much more recent coinage, and one nobody even murmurs about these days.
I found it fairly readable, with some chapters being very absorbing and others getting a bit bogged down. If you're interested in grammar, I'd recommend it.
August 13, 2021
What's Your Pronoun is an interesting (if slightly repetitive and long-winded) rundown of our struggle with finding an "appropriate" gender-neutral single-person pronoun in the English language.
I appreciated that while Baron acknowledged the perceived problems with "they/them" as the pronoun to fit the bill, he came around to prove why it was, in fact, our best choice (and always has been). I also enjoyed the use of fictional (The Doctor as played by Jody Whittaker) and (sadly) not-so-fictional (Jordan Peterson) figures in the pronoun debate as case studies in the discussion of the incomprehensible vitriol that is apparently triggered with the use of "they" as a singular personal pronoun.
While much of the focus of this book was on the they/them debate, and the many other gender-neutral pronouns that have been introduced over the centuries, Baron also touches repeatedly on the generic he, and why it isn't, actually, all that generic. And this, for me, was the most interesting part of this book.
People (*cough cough* men) have loved to claim throughout all of recorded history that "he" is generic and gender-neutral... except, of course, when they are trying to restrict women's rights. In those cases, "he" means *just* men. Whether in regards to taxes, jail time, the right to vote, or running for office, the generic "he" has been used to suppress and penalize women, not to liberate them.
Overall I found this book interesting and informative but felt it lacked a deeper discussion of the social implications of changing pronoun usage, especially on the individual level.
Still, I would recommend this to anyone looking for a more thorough understanding of the English language and its missing piece that has plagued us for centuries.
VIDEO REVIEW: https://youtu.be/5xAERZtL_s8
You can find me on...
Youtube | Instagram | Twitter| TikTok
I appreciated that while Baron acknowledged the perceived problems with "they/them" as the pronoun to fit the bill, he came around to prove why it was, in fact, our best choice (and always has been). I also enjoyed the use of fictional (The Doctor as played by Jody Whittaker) and (sadly) not-so-fictional (Jordan Peterson) figures in the pronoun debate as case studies in the discussion of the incomprehensible vitriol that is apparently triggered with the use of "they" as a singular personal pronoun.
While much of the focus of this book was on the they/them debate, and the many other gender-neutral pronouns that have been introduced over the centuries, Baron also touches repeatedly on the generic he, and why it isn't, actually, all that generic. And this, for me, was the most interesting part of this book.
People (*cough cough* men) have loved to claim throughout all of recorded history that "he" is generic and gender-neutral... except, of course, when they are trying to restrict women's rights. In those cases, "he" means *just* men. Whether in regards to taxes, jail time, the right to vote, or running for office, the generic "he" has been used to suppress and penalize women, not to liberate them.
Overall I found this book interesting and informative but felt it lacked a deeper discussion of the social implications of changing pronoun usage, especially on the individual level.
Still, I would recommend this to anyone looking for a more thorough understanding of the English language and its missing piece that has plagued us for centuries.
VIDEO REVIEW: https://youtu.be/5xAERZtL_s8
You can find me on...
Youtube | Instagram | Twitter| TikTok
July 16, 2021
Book 215 of 2021
3.5 ✨
I really recommend this book to everyone. It is so good and eye opening and I learnt a lot.
3.5 ✨
I really recommend this book to everyone. It is so good and eye opening and I learnt a lot.
Read
January 17, 2021(I read this last year and I'm mystified why it's not in my Goodreads - I'll need to check if I wrote anything about it and if I have it saved elsewhere. I know I linked to it in one of my timeline posts...)
February 16, 2020
I found this history and politics of pronouns to be super fascinating. I didn't want to put it down. So happy to own it.
September 11, 2025
Perfect non-fiction read for pride month. Quick, informative, and not too dry (even funny, at times!), especially if you have an interest in history and politics as well as linguistics.
A highlight was the well-researched chronology of invented pronouns, challenging the misconception that these new-fangled neo-pronouns are ‘neo’ at all. No language is perfect, but the absence of an accepted third-person singular gender-neutral pronoun in English has been felt for centuries.
As Baron himself concludes, alongside such distinguished authors as Austen and Shakespeare: the so-called ‘missing’ pronoun is ‘they’. Time to accept it.
A highlight was the well-researched chronology of invented pronouns, challenging the misconception that these new-fangled neo-pronouns are ‘neo’ at all. No language is perfect, but the absence of an accepted third-person singular gender-neutral pronoun in English has been felt for centuries.
As Baron himself concludes, alongside such distinguished authors as Austen and Shakespeare: the so-called ‘missing’ pronoun is ‘they’. Time to accept it.
April 19, 2024
4.5. Credentials for this review: I'm non binary and exclusively use they/them pronouns (or iel/ellui in French, which I think would fuck with a few of the reviewers of this book expressing concerns about they/them pronouns so be glad you aren't bilingual bitches).
This was a fascinating read for me. I listened to it as an audiobook, so the reason I took .5 off is because it was occasionally a little boring. A significant portion of the book focuses on legal challenges and legal definitions, which was a very interesting case to make, but the legal aspects were less than thrilling. As a they/them I already knew that third gender pronouns have been around for centuries, much like trans people have been here since time immemorial. However, I definitely learned a lot from this book and I really appreciated it. I think it means more to me than a cis person because to me it solidifies what I've been fighting for in my life, which is general respect and kindness. This is not something I've found in abundance since coming out, so it felt good to hear about how actually I'm not just a pink haired bisexual leftist (eye roll) and there's been efforts to normalize a variety of non-binary pronouns for centuries upon centuries. I think perhaps the most compelling parts of this for cis people will be the legal elements, because cis people care more about misogyny than transphobia for the most part, and it makes a stronger "business" case for the acceptance of non-binary pronouns than just like, the positive mental health outcomes associated with the correct usage of chosen names and pronouns.
Overall, I really enjoyed and appreciated this. It was refreshing and felt validating for my gender identity. I look forward to the day where rude idiots stop misgendering me so cis people read up because I'm sick of your shit.
This was a fascinating read for me. I listened to it as an audiobook, so the reason I took .5 off is because it was occasionally a little boring. A significant portion of the book focuses on legal challenges and legal definitions, which was a very interesting case to make, but the legal aspects were less than thrilling. As a they/them I already knew that third gender pronouns have been around for centuries, much like trans people have been here since time immemorial. However, I definitely learned a lot from this book and I really appreciated it. I think it means more to me than a cis person because to me it solidifies what I've been fighting for in my life, which is general respect and kindness. This is not something I've found in abundance since coming out, so it felt good to hear about how actually I'm not just a pink haired bisexual leftist (eye roll) and there's been efforts to normalize a variety of non-binary pronouns for centuries upon centuries. I think perhaps the most compelling parts of this for cis people will be the legal elements, because cis people care more about misogyny than transphobia for the most part, and it makes a stronger "business" case for the acceptance of non-binary pronouns than just like, the positive mental health outcomes associated with the correct usage of chosen names and pronouns.
Overall, I really enjoyed and appreciated this. It was refreshing and felt validating for my gender identity. I look forward to the day where rude idiots stop misgendering me so cis people read up because I'm sick of your shit.
January 5, 2022
Det her er nørdet, informationstungt, og lærerigt. Det graver dybt, det redegør, og der ses på pronominer - historisk set. Det er specielt, og man skal gide det, for det kan være kompliceret. Men jeg elsker, hvor meget der er gået i detaljer med det, og at det bliver gjort på en ordentlig, neutral måde, der ikke er farvet af et eller andet - men som favner perspektiver og forklarer hvordan det hele hænger sammen.
May 22, 2025
This book was so insanely repetitive. I think a good chunk of the first three chapters could have been slimmed down. However, I think that says more about the dev-editor than the author. Chapter four was the redeeming part of the book for me. It diligently explored how pronouns are used today by cis, trans, and non-binary persons.
May 17, 2020
An excellent and enlightening book if you are interested in the details and nuances of language. I only gave it three stars because it really would have benefited from tighter editing.
February 29, 2020
I actually liked this book. As a German born immigrant to the United States, I had my troubles with the missing word, actually referring to people with unknown gender as 'it'. Boy, did I ruffled some feathers....
Interesting enough though, the struggle for the third person singular gender neutral pronoun for the English language has ensued pretty much 1,000 years ago. More than 200 attempts have been made, and famous authors like Virginia Wolfe, Charles Dickens and others took their crack at it.
It is also false to believe that this is a new challenge with the LGBTQ movement of late, there where so many other things such as the suffrage movement that influenced the needs to express ourselves better in the English language.
Between language history, cultural developments, political needs, this is a tour of the needs of a language with an interesting and surprising solution.
Interesting enough though, the struggle for the third person singular gender neutral pronoun for the English language has ensued pretty much 1,000 years ago. More than 200 attempts have been made, and famous authors like Virginia Wolfe, Charles Dickens and others took their crack at it.
It is also false to believe that this is a new challenge with the LGBTQ movement of late, there where so many other things such as the suffrage movement that influenced the needs to express ourselves better in the English language.
Between language history, cultural developments, political needs, this is a tour of the needs of a language with an interesting and surprising solution.
Read
May 3, 2022This book is very fun! It’s a nerdy book by a real grammar nerd about grammar history, while also being a great pro-queer romp. If you ever want the confidence to defend singular they, go ahead and read this book. He delves into made up pronouns as well, and offers a wide range of options, as well as their histories. Oh and also! Gets into the misogynistic past of grammar! What fun :)
December 16, 2022
judith butler, this is not. nor is this supposed to be. what you're looking for and what you get might be different, so reviews are all over the place, and part of that is the genre/labeling system trying to classify 'what's your pronoun?' --a title invoking what is common decency to most, albeit poorly managed and represented, and fodder for right wing media to others-- this is not a book about gender theory or queer studies, and is weakly placed under the lgbt tag. the material is largely about linguistics, grammar, the history of the English language, (white) women's rights and combating the false narrative cries of grammatical, biological, nationalistic, patriarchal, religious "purists." thankfully, it's not faux progressive fluff, either. there are nods to the questioning of corporate interest "accepting" the non-binary for the sake of profit, but nowhere near enough for an anti-capitalist critique. and it's not a liberal feel-good book. baron is a straight up linguist and long time professor, and for a dude almost 80 writing about --and witnessing-- and documenting the change of language throughout his life (and far beyond), writing in a modern tone for the mainstream, this is one of the fullest, well rounded sources you're going to find, and i'm not sure enough reviewers appreciate this fact or took the time to research him. his basic argument is pro-singular they, language is not static, it's going to move on with or without you, and we are at a point where singular they is accepted widely, the kicker--the singular they has been around since the -- 14th century --, and that's earlier than the singular you --17th century. bigots won't say singular they but will say singular you instead of thou, thee, thy, despite holding similarly archaic beliefs, but i digress, a cheap shot. baron discusses law under u.s. and england, and how the singular he was used for all genders, and the history of women using gender supremacist grammar against itself-- he pays the taxes, he gets charged for murder (wait till you get to that one), women elected in government and men protesting under the guise of grammar purity, it's a lot of recycled misogyny today repurposed as queerphobia. there have been hundreds of terms over hundreds of years to get the right singular third person pronoun, they seems to always come out on top, though the quakerism founder wrote a whole scathing book about they's immorality. if you're into the study and history of language from a social and structural view, this book is for you, and there is a good amount of gender discussion in those realms, touching on lgbt rights, though not at all a focal point. 'what's your pronoun?' is a hunt through time trying to find the perfect pronoun that both constantly escapes the most fickle grammarians and open minded linguists have been searching for since the beginning of english. 4-5 stars if you're a "word nerd" and like to read the oed for fun, and if you had to google oed congrats you avoided structural english classes reading until your eyes would bleed and can still find 3 star fun facts and ammo against all those "concerned" grammar purists that really just hate non binary people.
February 27, 2024
Star ratings are hard. This has a lot of neat information, but it's not a book for everyone. Its maybe a bit under 4⭐️, but I wouldn't want to give it as low as a 3⭐️.
This history of the gender neutral pronoun was interesting. I did learn a lot - the majority of it focused on the 1800s and early-mid 1900s (though it does touch on times before and after as well). I didn't know that there was so much pronoun discourse in these early days - nor how similarly it was used politically by people (largely white men) to degrade and deflect from more tangible issues*.
This was, however, quite repetative. I didnt mind so much in the beginning because it was a lot that I didnt know, but by the time the last chapters of the book came around, it was a little cumbersome. I think since they included the chronogy chapter, they could have cut or integrated some examples earlier in the book.
While the discussion about the past was very strong, I don't think the discussion of contemporary neopronoun usage was. That is actually what I came into the book knowing more about, so it was a little dissapointing to see how little it was engaged with when he was making his case for singular they at the very end of the book. I don't even really disagree that "they" makes the most sense as a singular gender neutral term more broadly (considering how the language has evolved organically... though I do take issue with some of his reasoning - but this review is already too long without all of that). But I don't think he engaged with current neopronoun usage enough. I don't expect it to be handled with the same rigor as the rest of the book (because his research is clearly more historical - a current look into it all would be quite different) but I think it could have been improved.
All that is to say, it has a lot of information. I found it very interesting and would recommend it to people already interested in the topic of historical pronoun usage with the caviat about repetition. However, if you're on the fence about reading a book that's about grammar and grammar seems a bit dry to you, this might not be the best one to start with (intro and first chapter are interesting if you want the main points, but the rest does get a but in the weeds).
--
*not that pronouns are unimportant. But when "but the integrity of the English language!" is the focus when women or trans people are facing, like, violence... it's pedantic at best and an accessory to violence at worst.
This history of the gender neutral pronoun was interesting. I did learn a lot - the majority of it focused on the 1800s and early-mid 1900s (though it does touch on times before and after as well). I didn't know that there was so much pronoun discourse in these early days - nor how similarly it was used politically by people (largely white men) to degrade and deflect from more tangible issues*.
This was, however, quite repetative. I didnt mind so much in the beginning because it was a lot that I didnt know, but by the time the last chapters of the book came around, it was a little cumbersome. I think since they included the chronogy chapter, they could have cut or integrated some examples earlier in the book.
While the discussion about the past was very strong, I don't think the discussion of contemporary neopronoun usage was. That is actually what I came into the book knowing more about, so it was a little dissapointing to see how little it was engaged with when he was making his case for singular they at the very end of the book. I don't even really disagree that "they" makes the most sense as a singular gender neutral term more broadly (considering how the language has evolved organically... though I do take issue with some of his reasoning - but this review is already too long without all of that). But I don't think he engaged with current neopronoun usage enough. I don't expect it to be handled with the same rigor as the rest of the book (because his research is clearly more historical - a current look into it all would be quite different) but I think it could have been improved.
All that is to say, it has a lot of information. I found it very interesting and would recommend it to people already interested in the topic of historical pronoun usage with the caviat about repetition. However, if you're on the fence about reading a book that's about grammar and grammar seems a bit dry to you, this might not be the best one to start with (intro and first chapter are interesting if you want the main points, but the rest does get a but in the weeds).
--
*not that pronouns are unimportant. But when "but the integrity of the English language!" is the focus when women or trans people are facing, like, violence... it's pedantic at best and an accessory to violence at worst.
February 13, 2021
Good history, this conversation has been happening far longer than most people realize. A little repetitive but incredibly interesting.
September 7, 2020
Such an interesting book. This book covers a lot. From the use of "generic he" to introducing "she/her" to the use of not specific gender pronouns.
It was fascinating and I could understand more on the role of pronouns for people.
It was fascinating and I could understand more on the role of pronouns for people.
January 6, 2022
3.5
I went into this book expecting a closer look at the queer identities represented with the varying pronouns produced from our English language; however, I was met with a book about the grammatical and historical efforts for finding a pronoun that was non-binary. While my expectations were off, I still enjoyed this book. There was a lot of information shared about the history of pronoun usage and how it's changed over time. These changes will continue to occur, as Baron says, against the better judgement of grammarians and politicians because of the overwhelming public opinion on the matter.
Baron does a phenomenal job of revealing what's behind the curtain of our modern concept of pronoun usage, and how it has changed over time. For example: "They" is a word that has been used both as a singular and plural pronoun for OVER 700 YEARS by the likes of Jane Austen, William Shakespeare, Virginia Woolf, etc.!
Overall, I learned a lot about the history of pronoun usage in the English language, and I even learned more about the "queering" of pronouns like they, ze, xe, etc. throughout the course of the book. The only reason I deducted a star and a half is because it got a bit repetitive at times... especially when discussing how, for a long time, the pronoun "he" was used to refer to people of all gender identities. I understand the reasoning behind such tedious sections of the book; Baron wanted to create an exhaustive text that covers all aspects of pronoun usage. He achieves that successfully; though, at times, it can seem like he's bashing the reader over the head with the information. Despite this slight flaw, I really enjoyed this book, and I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in grammar, history, and queer identities.
I went into this book expecting a closer look at the queer identities represented with the varying pronouns produced from our English language; however, I was met with a book about the grammatical and historical efforts for finding a pronoun that was non-binary. While my expectations were off, I still enjoyed this book. There was a lot of information shared about the history of pronoun usage and how it's changed over time. These changes will continue to occur, as Baron says, against the better judgement of grammarians and politicians because of the overwhelming public opinion on the matter.
Baron does a phenomenal job of revealing what's behind the curtain of our modern concept of pronoun usage, and how it has changed over time. For example: "They" is a word that has been used both as a singular and plural pronoun for OVER 700 YEARS by the likes of Jane Austen, William Shakespeare, Virginia Woolf, etc.!
Overall, I learned a lot about the history of pronoun usage in the English language, and I even learned more about the "queering" of pronouns like they, ze, xe, etc. throughout the course of the book. The only reason I deducted a star and a half is because it got a bit repetitive at times... especially when discussing how, for a long time, the pronoun "he" was used to refer to people of all gender identities. I understand the reasoning behind such tedious sections of the book; Baron wanted to create an exhaustive text that covers all aspects of pronoun usage. He achieves that successfully; though, at times, it can seem like he's bashing the reader over the head with the information. Despite this slight flaw, I really enjoyed this book, and I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in grammar, history, and queer identities.
February 22, 2021
Interesting but a bit flat and repetitive, and I was hoping there would be more of a focus on the current pronoun debate as it pertains to gender identity, but that gets skimmed over quite quickly.
June 5, 2023
This book would have made an excellent long-form article at the intersection of gender studies and grammar, as people across centuries have tried to find a gender-neutral, third-person singular pronoun. As it is, there was a lot of relevant information in this book that satisfied a lot of my interest in gender studies and linguistics, but it was far too repetitive. So much of the information was repeated ad nauseum in every single chapter, especially how the generic he has been selectively used to subjugate women. It is fascinating to me how people have been so adamant about using they… when we’ve used they in this way for centuries. I would have also appreciated more commentary on this book from a trans or nonbinary perspective. It didn’t talk much at all about how pronoun use informs gender identity and vice versa, and I would have loved it more if it had.
So, as a book, this was far too long, but the content was great! Would recommend if you’re also nerdy about grammar and can deal with a bit (a lot) of repetition to get to the good stuff.
So, as a book, this was far too long, but the content was great! Would recommend if you’re also nerdy about grammar and can deal with a bit (a lot) of repetition to get to the good stuff.
September 5, 2020
My expectations for this book were that it would be focused on the LGBTQ movement currently going on and the related need for a new genderless personal pronoun. This topic is mentioned, but it is much more of a linguistic look at the long history of the search for a third-person singular pronoun. Luckily for me, this is still a topic of interest as an editor. My colleagues and I have had long discussions about using “they” additionally as a third-person singular pronoun. It seems that the writer of this book is firmly on board with the use of the singular “they.” I’m one of the grammarian sticklers who still does not like it ... I’m hopeful that one of the made-up pronouns becomes used commonly. I favor the look of ze or xe, although my pronouns are she and her. Overall, an interesting book, even though it is a bit repetitive.
January 18, 2023
“What’s Your Pronoun?: Beyond He & She” is a satisfying history of “the missing pronoun” in English. Baron outlines ways that speakers, writers, and grammarians have patched together genderless third-person singular pronouns since the nineteenth century.
Baron is unscrupulous, providing even references that were never practically used. If one person in one municipal periodical suggested it, the pronoun is included in this book. The over-inclusion of ideas makes each proposed pronoun as vapid as the next.
Baron clearly wrote each chapter to stand alone. The sacrifice of making an intro, five narrowly-differentiated essays, and a chronology of the previous material is that committed readers of the entire book lose 1/3 of their time in reading repeated or out-of-place information. The final three sections primarily spin their wheels in the mud.
Readers may be best served by selecting the approach which interests them the most, reading just that essay, and retiring their curiosity.
Baron is unscrupulous, providing even references that were never practically used. If one person in one municipal periodical suggested it, the pronoun is included in this book. The over-inclusion of ideas makes each proposed pronoun as vapid as the next.
Baron clearly wrote each chapter to stand alone. The sacrifice of making an intro, five narrowly-differentiated essays, and a chronology of the previous material is that committed readers of the entire book lose 1/3 of their time in reading repeated or out-of-place information. The final three sections primarily spin their wheels in the mud.
Readers may be best served by selecting the approach which interests them the most, reading just that essay, and retiring their curiosity.
January 10, 2022
This was an interesting nonfiction book that discussed mainly over the past two centuries the debate of what the singular common gender pronoun is.
This is one of those books that armored me with information to better speak on this topic and makes me feel more comfortable discussing this since I have resources and certain instances that I can reference. Baron argued his points very well and the conclusions he came to I almost completely agree with. I also did not realize how much this has been in public debate for so long, and how really this is not a new conversation.
I also find it very funny and entertaining reading old article clips where the authors are just going at each other over very specific topics. Peak humor I say.
This is one of those books that armored me with information to better speak on this topic and makes me feel more comfortable discussing this since I have resources and certain instances that I can reference. Baron argued his points very well and the conclusions he came to I almost completely agree with. I also did not realize how much this has been in public debate for so long, and how really this is not a new conversation.
I also find it very funny and entertaining reading old article clips where the authors are just going at each other over very specific topics. Peak humor I say.
April 19, 2023
Ugh this book was so good! I had no idea how far back the debate about pronouns went. English speakers have been looking for an alternative, gender neutral pronoun for centuries! The consensus is pretty clear these days, “they” is where it’s at.
I appreciate the authors dedication to extensively researching this topic. A topic that desperately needs to be discussed and understood as we move forward into a more inclusive society. He has dedicated more than 40 years of his life to this research. His work needs to be appreciated.
Straight, Queer, and Non-Identifying people alike should definitely give this one a read. It’s informative and full of knowledge you may not realize you needed.
I appreciate the authors dedication to extensively researching this topic. A topic that desperately needs to be discussed and understood as we move forward into a more inclusive society. He has dedicated more than 40 years of his life to this research. His work needs to be appreciated.
Straight, Queer, and Non-Identifying people alike should definitely give this one a read. It’s informative and full of knowledge you may not realize you needed.
April 1, 2020
This was a really good book. The only part that dragged a little was the section on the history of created pronouns because ti got a little repetitive. The book does an great job of showing that, in spite of the protestations of many conservatives and grammarians, not gendered pronouns have a very log history and that we use them all the time. It also highlights that, be it for women or transgender people, the issue is not really grammar it is about limiting their rights and acceptance. It reaffirms my stance that it is really no business of mine in how you choose to label yourself and I should respect your choices out of basic humanity.
June 30, 2020
ARC Given by publisher for Honest Review
What's Your Pronoun was an incredibly interesting read! Dennis Baron has done his research and gone far above the average gender studies author. As someone who is trans and well read, I though I was a font of information, but this book really put into perspective how much we have to learn.
Baron goes through different topics like neo-pronouns, the history of the "singular they" and ways to incorporate new pronouns into your life. I was excited to learn because of the descriptive examples of history he walked through. Some parts were a little dry and technical but this will always be a side effect in discussing certain non-fiction topics.
Definitely a good book to add to any collection for diversity and education.
What's Your Pronoun was an incredibly interesting read! Dennis Baron has done his research and gone far above the average gender studies author. As someone who is trans and well read, I though I was a font of information, but this book really put into perspective how much we have to learn.
Baron goes through different topics like neo-pronouns, the history of the "singular they" and ways to incorporate new pronouns into your life. I was excited to learn because of the descriptive examples of history he walked through. Some parts were a little dry and technical but this will always be a side effect in discussing certain non-fiction topics.
Definitely a good book to add to any collection for diversity and education.
March 23, 2021
Im torn because half of this book was super super interesting, but the other half was so fucking dry. Like I appreciate the historical analysis of how pronouns have developed and of how people have actually been trying to give english a standardized gender neutral pronoun for LITERALLY centuries.
But man there was a lot of hyper specificity that just felt like too much at times. It was somehow both too short and too long of a read all at once!
But man there was a lot of hyper specificity that just felt like too much at times. It was somehow both too short and too long of a read all at once!
May 10, 2021
This is an interesting account of the history of gender in English third person singular pronouns, its effects, and attempts to get around it, including the inconsistent reading of "he" in statutory interpretation. The author also compares the singular "they" with the singular "you," which opponents of the singular "they" don't want to talk about for some reason [/s]. My big complaint is that the author uses so many examples to make the same point that the book feels padded.
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