Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 219, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 September 1918 — Pronoun Little Used. [ARTICLE]

Pronoun Little Used.

The form “thon” has held its place in the language, with occasional use, for sixty years. It is defined as meaning “*lllßl one; he, she, or it; a pronoun of the third person, common gender; a contracted and solidified form of ‘that one,* proposed in 1858 by Charles Crozat Converse of Erie, Paas a substitute in cases where the use of a restrictive pronoun involves’ either inaccuracy, or obscurity, or its non-employment necessitates awkward repetition.” As an example is given the substitution of “Each pupil must learn thon’s lesson” for “Each pupil must learn bls or her lesson.” —Literary Digest.