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Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803 |
sad reflection of society
Do you not hear people at all? I should think that limiting the usage of people to mean the group and persons to mean the members of the group would be a useful distinction. I don't know if it is being used that way, but I would rather hear that sort of distinction being made than just accepting the idea that it's one person, two or more people.
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Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 2,154
Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 2,154 |
I do here "people' but I often here them say persons where I would find people more appropriate. Eg. making a reservation and hearing "How many persons in the party?" I can't think of a specific instance at the moment, unfortunately.
I think if they didn't use the words as interchangable it wouldn't bug me.
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Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 3,065
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 3,065 |
I associate the use of persons outside a legal context with speakers/writers from the USA, and somewhat less definitely with attempts to avoid sexist language.
Bingley
Bingley
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Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,692
Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,692 |
Same in Eric by Terry Pratchett, which, coincidentally, I just started reading last night. My library doesn't have many of the discworld series. Any recommendations? ~ consuelo
He has written a lot of discworld books now. Some time since I read it, but I liked 'Small Gods'. The concept of gods competing for worshippers in order to increase their power is maybe not new but he puts some interesting twists in there.
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