At 10:06 AM 7/18/2003, you wrote:
Yes, I was aware of Jane Austen, but she was very much
an exception -- the
vast majority of writers used "generic he" throughout the 18th and 19th
centuries, and through most of the 20th. I think Samuel Taylor Coleridge
may be the one other notable exception.
It is also true, as Dante Alighieri pointed out, that "singular they" was
used in the 16th century and through some of the 17th. But medieval
English usage is hardly a good guide for modern English usage.
Calling the "singular they" a medieval English usage hardly seems
appropriate given that Jane Austen wasn't around during the medieval
period, and contemporary authors use it as well. :)
-----
Dante Alighieri
dalighieri(a)digitalgrapefruit.com
"The darkest places in hell are reserved for those who maintain their
neutrality in times of great moral crisis."
-Dante Alighieri, 1265-1321