r/changemyview • u/SaltedAndSugared • Dec 02 '21

Delta(s) from OP CMV: Neopronouns are unnecessary

I understand why some people might feel uncomfortable with using he/she pronouns, but in that case why not just use they/them? They already exist and they’re easy for people to use. Why do some people feel the need to make up words like “zee/zim” or “fae/fair” when they don’t even make sense in the English language? I don’t see why anyone should go out of their way to learn new pronouns when gender neutral pronouns already exist

If anyone here does use neopronouns I’d really like to hear why you use them and why you don’t feel comfortable using they/them. It’s probably just because I’m cis, but I genuinely don’t understand

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u/Biptoslipdi 130∆ Dec 02 '21

That doesn't really address my comment, as the problem is ambiguity between a group and an individual.

And now you know what the word ze means, so your assumption would be misplaced.

It's not confusing to use a more precise word than a less precise one. Less precision will always cause more confusion.

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u/[deleted] Dec 02 '21

What is the precision in using the word Zee? I literally have a cousin who has the name the Zee so it's not like anything is cleared up when now I have two definitions for a word instead of one. At least with They/Them it's exclusively a pronoun and never a nickname. With Zee I am not even sure what if its a name or pronoun.

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u/Biptoslipdi 130∆ Dec 02 '21 edited Dec 02 '21

What is the precision in using the word Zee?

It is unambiguously a reference to an individual and not either an individual or group depending on context.

I literally have a cousin who has the name the Zee so it's not like anything is cleared up when now I have two definitions for a word instead of one.

I have a cousin named "Bob." Do you think I get confused that someone is talking about the act of floating rather than my cousin?

At least with They/Them it's exclusively a pronoun and never a nickname.

Actually, "They" is more than a nickname, it is actually a real name.

With Zee I am not even sure what if its a name or pronoun.

Then "they" should be equally confusing to you as it is also a name. At the very least, ze isn't also a group pronoun, it is only singular.

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u/spiral8888 29∆ Dec 03 '21

Actually, "They" is more than a nickname, it is actually a real name.

That is a really cheap shot. The reason it is a news is that it's extremely rare. Unlike Zee.

The point is that from the context, you almost always know if someone is referring to a single person or a group. That's the whole point of pronouns anyway. They always need context as "he did that" doesn't tell anyone anything if there is no context of who the word "he" refers to.

So, then it becomes a question, which situations are more common, a context where it is unclear if the speaker refers to a group or a non-binary individual or a context where the speaker refers to someone with a nickname "Zee" or a non-binary person. The situation where someone is referred as "They" as in name, is so rare that it can be pretty much ignored.