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Isabel asked this question about Velocity Weapon (The Protectorate, #1):
Why Arden is referred as 'they'? has he/she got multiple personalities or it's a mix of AI-human being that makes this character different from 'normal' humans? This use of plurals for one person is driving mad :P
Roland Haller Hello Isabel, I think I can help here a little. Your confusion comes from a misunderstanding of the word "they" that is not plural by itself but neutr…moreHello Isabel, I think I can help here a little. Your confusion comes from a misunderstanding of the word "they" that is not plural by itself but neutral. Singular they is the use in English of the pronoun they or its inflected or derivative forms, them, their, theirs, and themselves (or themself), as an epicene (gender-neutral) singular pronoun. It typically occurs with an unspecified antecedent, as in sentences such as:

"Somebody left their umbrella in the office. Would they please collect it?"[1]
"The patient should be told at the outset how much they will be required to pay."[2]
"But a journalist should not be forced to reveal their sources."
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singula...)

So actually we use They as a plural pronoun, not because it is so, but because the plurality of individual makes it a neutral group. Cool right!?

But I agree that this sudden rise in frequency of use get some getting used to.

I do like that there is a pronoun for inanimate objects: It, for feminine and masculine entities: She and He, and also for gender unspecified entities: They.

I imagine than in some sci-fi with aliens with a plurality of sexual biological variations like a story based on coho salmon for example (lol), would develop then additional pronouns. I'd like to read that. ^^

Ps: Cool read on multiple gender structured animal societal structures.
https://tinyurl.com/genderedsocieties (less)
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Velocity Weapon
by Megan E. O'Keefe (Goodreads Author)
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