They’ve Rooked the Decade: The Pronoun That Took the Spotlight
They – no, not a rock band or a polite sidekick. It’s the neutral pronoun that, in the US, has earned the prestigious title of Word of the Decade.
Why “They” Matters
When word choices shift, it’s like a wake‑up call for language nerds. The American Dialect Society (think of them as the word‑watching club of linguists, historians, and coffee‑drinking scholars) decided that the plural they is the real MVP.
Ben Zimmer, the head honcho, was all like:
- “When pronouns become the big trending buzz in society, folks who love language get super excited.”
- “Choosing they shows how gender identity is now a big part of our everyday chatter.”
It’s All Grown Up
Apple just rolled out neutral emojis in its latest OS – so now you can send a smiling face that doesn’t scream “man” or “woman” (or is it a tofu? ). And the American Dialect Society has already picked they as the Word of the Year back in 2015. Kinda like that classic hit that comes around every decade.
Non‑Binary Stars Shine Bright
Not everyone’s name is printed as a “he” or a “she” on their ID. For these folks, they is a lifesaver. Take Sam Smith – the British pop sensation who said, “I’ve spent my whole life warring with my gender.” Sam now prefers they/them pronouns, and that’s a full headline.
- Tech giant Apple introduces neutral emojis.
- Sam Smith calls out the they/them shift.
- “They” gets recognized as the Word of the Decade.
Other Contenders That Got a Shot
These hot topics bumped the title up in the running list:
- #BlackLivesMatter
- #MeToo
- Climate
- Emoji
- Meme
- Opioid Crisis
- Woke
Remember: the American Dialect Society is a 131‑year‑old squad of linguists, lexicographers, and even students. They’ve also crowned google and web as past Words of the Past Two Decades. But this time, it’s they that finally rolled out the wheel of language.
