Spirited public debate over language is a very French passion, so it’s no surprise that when the online edition of Le Robert, the famous French dictionary, chose to include the gender-neutral pronoun “iel” – a combination of the French pronouns “il” (he) and “elle” (she) that corresponds to the singular “they” in English – a furious controversy erupted.
Spirited public debate over language is a very French passion, so it’s no surprise that when the online edition of Le Robert, the famous French dictionary, chose to include the gender-neutral pronoun “iel” – a combination of the French pronouns “il” (he) and “elle” (she) that corresponds to the singular “they” in English – a furious controversy erupted.
No one is forcing people to use “iel” with a gun to their head. But paradoxically, by making the pronoun the focus of attention, critics are inevitably making it more popular.