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Dictionaries and grammar “rules” don’t have the final word on language — and believing they do can harm more than help, especially for the trans community. Sociolinguist Archie Crowley deconstructs three common myths around language, demonstrating how it’s a fluid system that naturally evolves in the direction of inclusion.
The TED Talks channel features the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world’s leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes (or less). Look for talks on Technology, Entertainment and Design — plus science, business, global issues, the arts and more. You’re welcome to link to or embed these videos, forward them to others and share these ideas with people you know.
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Mike Powell
April 16, 2021 at 11:41 pm
eewww look at all the butt hurt bigots in these comments.
Dima Bot
April 16, 2021 at 11:41 pm
Why did Ted stop talking about science?
Namita R
April 16, 2021 at 11:51 pm
Ted was never just about science lmao
rachhmadeline
April 17, 2021 at 1:10 am
Linguistics is a science.
R N
April 16, 2021 at 11:47 pm
So tired of being told what to sat and how to say it by liberals.
Namita R
April 16, 2021 at 11:51 pm
This was so good omg
ZEGS i
April 17, 2021 at 12:02 am
non-binary? No lady, ur a woman. And ur not teaching anyone how to adjust to ur gender d y s p h o r i a
ExiledEve
April 17, 2021 at 12:03 am
TED, this is a brilliant example of ideas NOT worth spreading.
Esel
April 17, 2021 at 12:34 am
Why not? Don’t like human rights?
FlareSnare
April 17, 2021 at 12:44 am
@Esel I like the right to call people as I see them, and my right to see pronouns as completely trivial and anyone who wants only a specific pronoun is overcomplicating things and there are just personal insecurities going on about something that matters not.
Ash Rebel Hen Studios
April 17, 2021 at 12:53 am
@FlareSnare well said. Thats a fair comment.
Angel Tafolla
April 17, 2021 at 12:15 am
He explained that pretty well but seemed less about language rather than his personal beliefs?
Esel
April 17, 2021 at 12:32 am
These things they’re talking about actually affect millions of people and not just Archie 🙂
Meve76
April 17, 2021 at 1:15 am
you mean they explained why using they as a singular pronoun is ok?
Angel Tafolla
April 17, 2021 at 1:19 am
@Meve76 wouldn’t that be referring to multiple people? There only one dude there
[ORIGINAL] UNDERGROUND
April 17, 2021 at 12:26 am
We’re doomed.
Steve Jones
April 17, 2021 at 12:30 am
If you can read this, this comment wasn’t deleted.
Robert
April 17, 2021 at 12:33 am
Can we go back to when men were called wermen and women was wifmen? And man was neutral?
A S
April 17, 2021 at 12:33 am
Nah. No it doesn’t. Always been he, she, or it. Always.
Luzi Henneke
April 17, 2021 at 1:00 am
Education
Error 404
rachhmadeline
April 17, 2021 at 1:09 am
Did you even watch the video?
Esel
April 17, 2021 at 12:35 am
Trans ally here <3 if you’re reading this, maybe don’t look at all the other comments, people are spreading their fear over here.
FlareSnare
April 17, 2021 at 12:48 am
Its more like, they are trying to overcomplicate things. Im going to call someone as I see them. Pronouns are completely trivial, I get called she all the time when I’m just a regular dude and I still respond. If someone gets offended over the wrong pronoun, there’s incontentment and insecurity and that’s not on the person calling them the pronoun, its on the one being called it and their reaction.
E con
April 17, 2021 at 12:38 am
white people problems
Paula Cohen
April 17, 2021 at 12:41 am
Beautifully explained. Thank you for educating and inspiring me!
Henry Rollins
April 17, 2021 at 12:43 am
A skidmark on the underpants of society.
waddac2
April 17, 2021 at 12:44 am
To me, I have always said “You okay mate” or “good to meet you mate” This is weather male or female etc…
No person in my opinion is meant to be treat different as others do.
philip brookes
April 17, 2021 at 12:50 am
All Parents would says there child its about its context .
FlareSnare
April 17, 2021 at 12:55 am
People are overcomplicating this greatly. Pronouns are absolutely trivial, if someone wants to be called something, its going to be their name. If I am going to call a person a he/she depending on what I see them as, and they get offended or try and correct me with something else or the other, I’m still going to call them as I see them. Simply due to the fact that pronouns do NOT matter. Im a regular dude who is somewhat feminine, people call me she and he, but I’m a male dude and that’s that. If one is to think they need to correct someone on what pronouns to call them or they get offended by it, then its there own incontentment and/or insecurity with themselves that’s at fault, not one calling them as they see them. The man in this video is just a regular dude to me, and that’s fine, but if he were to think he needs to correct me or gets offended, than he is simply not very content with himself and i don’t want anything to do with him.
Tom Abramoff
April 17, 2021 at 12:58 am
This is so hard to listen to.
Tom Abramoff
April 17, 2021 at 1:00 am
Grammar rules do change, but biology and psychology do not
Noah Zipin
April 17, 2021 at 1:06 am
I mean I’m not some ultra-liberal person but this talk was insightful and interesting. Why does it have so many dislikes?
Luís Frederico Dornelas Conti
April 17, 2021 at 1:22 am
Incels.
oVerGOOF
April 17, 2021 at 1:08 am
What a bad example…
معمر يونس
April 17, 2021 at 1:10 am
is this man or woman?
Amir Feyzi
April 17, 2021 at 1:14 am
I like the narrative Archie used to explain. Thank you for creating this content and making it available ♥
Meve76
April 17, 2021 at 1:19 am
many comments here show that the path is long…
Akash Kumar Pandey
April 17, 2021 at 2:22 pm
Why people hate each other should be the next Ted talk.
Akash Kumar Pandey
April 17, 2021 at 2:23 pm
Why some people can’t treat their fellow humans with love and respect should be the next Ted talk.
Akash Kumar Pandey
April 17, 2021 at 2:25 pm
We are in clear need to learn some basics: How haters can strat to love the world and it’s people should be the next Ted talk.
TED.
April 17, 2021 at 2:25 pm
Correspond to my administrator Mr Warikoo for financial help
peterbundy84
April 17, 2021 at 2:27 pm
Language changes constantly, that is true. However, it changes naturally and one linguistic variation is not better than the other. Otherwise, it becomes a constructed language or language planning.
Lyra Black
April 17, 2021 at 5:23 pm
Why are you implying conlangs are bad things? Sina sona ala sona e toki pona? 🥺 And “language planning” does not exist, you’re muddying the waters
Hannes W.
April 17, 2021 at 9:10 pm
And what is changing naturally? Its made up from humanity and they even showed the example with the singular you thing but u prob didn’t watch that long
Shwat Toddle
April 17, 2021 at 2:41 pm
It has, like immediately before the collapse of the societies that embraced it.
FragensteinVG
April 17, 2021 at 2:50 pm
This is white privilege!
E con
April 17, 2021 at 2:51 pm
Your life must be really boring if you’re this desperate to be oppressed.
Xenopsychosis
April 17, 2021 at 3:28 pm
Absent ravenous caged rats threatening to eat my face, I’ll continue to use language that most succinctly describes reality and refuse to dilute them down to euphemisms or worse, modify their meanings for propaganda.
Want to describe a new idea or concept? Then choose a different word we can use to articulate it and stop co-opting current language to obfuscate and promote your political agenda.
Eli Nope
April 17, 2021 at 3:35 pm
Words only change meaning when people are allowed to speak them in many situations to many people. If you want a word to retain its meaning, censor it.
gaya.marina
April 17, 2021 at 3:47 pm
This is an incredibly smart and eloquently put talk that everyone should watch.
Foster gilmore
April 17, 2021 at 4:30 pm
I clicked on this video for the soul purposes of disliking it.
VHS Copy of Seinfeld
April 17, 2021 at 5:36 pm
Always should never be used by a scientist/researcher
0 0
April 17, 2021 at 5:45 pm
Everything bothers everyone. Lets celebrate and rejoice what we do have. Freedoms newly acquired and how the species is doing in general. Hundred years ago a flu killed 30 percent of humanity. Now not even one percent. We have running water, knowledge of sanitation. Toilets. Electricity. People live to 115. Before 30 was considered lucky to get to.
Ragazzino
April 17, 2021 at 5:57 pm
Brainwashing level hard.
gingergamer94
April 17, 2021 at 6:27 pm
I want to know why his hair is red in the thumbnail but is actually brown
Hannes W.
April 17, 2021 at 9:06 pm
THEIR hair just “changed” color, because that thing called lighting
يقين عمار
April 17, 2021 at 10:21 pm
@Hannes W. Tell me are you a nonbinary like HIM ?
Manuela S
April 17, 2021 at 10:33 pm
Please use they/them pronouns and be respectful of their (valid) identity.
JBos7
April 17, 2021 at 6:38 pm
This guy live in an alternate reality, most people outside of universities don’t talk or behave like this. Ted watering it’s channel down with these low value characters.
Hannes W.
April 17, 2021 at 9:05 pm
Right, we should stop being nice to people, like we are at home, because every human being besides me has a lower value.. And they are not a guy
tbukic
April 17, 2021 at 7:04 pm
Her voice and hips are pretty straightforward about her identity. No self-identifying nor ideology can override the biology.
24 SadSongs
April 17, 2021 at 7:07 pm
Are you even sure you misgendered them correctly? Cause some other transphobes in the comments said that they’re actually a man?
Lee
April 17, 2021 at 7:48 pm
Language evolves organically, not shoehorned like this…
Hannes W.
April 17, 2021 at 9:02 pm
Right, don’t made up language to respect people, made up language is crap, we should stop making up language and maybe just speak at all, then nobody is offended
يقين عمار
April 17, 2021 at 10:17 pm
I say all of that video opposers leave this ted channel immediately , cuz this is a big insult to all of the straight people here
يقين عمار
April 17, 2021 at 10:19 pm
A shame on you started removing the opposing comments and the dislikes
This is a poor argument
Nawdar Jihani
April 17, 2021 at 10:43 pm
He’s Gay! ( LGBTQ ).
PP
April 17, 2021 at 10:44 pm
It is not a good sign, if someone or a group of people, is constantly thinking about themselves, if you are spasmodically so fixated on yourself, if every day you have to tell every person you meet first how he identifies himself and how he demands (!!!) to be addressed.
Every thought revolves only around oneself and how the entire humanity has to accept without being asked everything that one has thought up.
And one expects that nobody is ever allowed to express himself critically towards you, because otherwise your human rights are violated and one does physical violence to you with it.
If humanity must bend to your will, because you yourself can never be the problem, it can only be the others. Who sees it differently is intolerant and transphobic, no matter how crazy, no matter if it goes against any scientific knowledge that we have built up for centuries.
Such behavior, which we can observe regularly these days, is simply antisocial, egocentric and just crazy!
Everyone must be able to endure that sometimes youre feelings are hurt, this is not the end of the world! And if so, not the others are the problem, but you yourself.
You can’t force other people to constantly put up with this egocentric “I identify as this, or that, and tomorrow as that…”, and not expect a reaction to that!
This is a sign that you are simply unsympathetic and selfish!
And that has nothing to do with the gender or so, no, but with the behavior which one shows to others! Using youre gender as an excuse is just weak and wrong.
No one cares what you identify as, and we don’t have to!
No one forbids you that, do what you want, but do not get on the nerves of mankind with it!
Humanity was never as tolerant as today, you can be what ever you want! But still some feel somehow opressed, even though they are clearly not.
Some expect to win a prize just for the statement: “Im transgender, im so brave”…
All the transgender people who behave normally towards other people have to suffer because of the crazy and unsympathetic ones.
Errant Cognition
April 18, 2021 at 12:14 am
It’s not evolving, it’s being forced down our throats.
Lee Spector
April 18, 2021 at 12:44 am
How dictatorial to tell someone how they must address you. This is exactly what the progressive left has been doing for years- changing language and the historical meaning and contexts to fit their world view, narrative and agenda. A recent example- Ocasio Cortez, instead of calling socialism what it is, now calls it democratic sociallism to make that more tolerable or palatable, even though it’s clearly just socialism by all aspects. It’s always about changing the narrative to fit the agenda. This young person is voicing likewise. He wants us to accept his agenda because, well, it’s what he wants/demands, not what we want or see or the evidence points to.
Kelbor Hal
April 18, 2021 at 1:05 am
So what you’re doing here is comparing your pronouns to nicknames. If your pronouns are comparable to nicknames, then what’s all the fuss?
Red Baron
April 18, 2021 at 2:57 pm
“OY VEY! My people stand out way too much so we have to work to undermine society and culture wherever we go! It gives me so much anxiety, and it causes my fybromylalgia to flare up!” – this guy’s entire diseased lineage
ussarn g
April 18, 2021 at 3:13 pm
Changing language is one thing but being duped into changing your own person moral standard by saying it is just a benign language change is totally a different thing.
Rhane Mann
April 18, 2021 at 3:43 pm
There is no political solution.
Tragic Magic
April 18, 2021 at 4:54 pm
This is toxic
First name Last name
April 18, 2021 at 5:09 pm
And suddenly for no reason at all…
Cristina Alexe
April 18, 2021 at 5:13 pm
Congrats to the speaker as their effort and work are important to the society and also for giving such a well-informed talk!
Afonso Martins
April 18, 2021 at 5:48 pm
Weimar world
Jeff James
April 18, 2021 at 6:31 pm
Really interesting and informative talk. Problem for me is that ‘they’ has always felt plural rather than singular. They need to work on it.
Dan Quilty
April 18, 2021 at 7:14 pm
Do you support medical transitioning for youth and indoctrination into this way of thinking for children as young as 3?
Because this person speaking does.
Trav
April 18, 2021 at 6:47 pm
Oh I’m sure these comments will be wonderful.
Airborn
April 18, 2021 at 7:03 pm
I am an attack helicopter 🚁, my pronouns are Apache and Black Mamba
Alex James
April 18, 2021 at 7:16 pm
Wtf is that supposed to be?
…Who cares, against the wall.
Brot und Medien
April 18, 2021 at 7:44 pm
Is this a man or a woman?
Mak K
April 18, 2021 at 7:49 pm
I use white noise to sleep. Might use this from now on.
Anime Fan
April 18, 2021 at 8:00 pm
Are you a girl like wtf are you
Gypsy Miller
April 18, 2021 at 8:18 pm
O/ O/ O/ O/
joe mazmo
April 18, 2021 at 9:07 pm
If this is the calibre of men we are producing now, God help the West if there is another war.
Lord Taint
April 18, 2021 at 9:13 pm
Don’t ever take advice or listen to someone that looks like they could be killed by a single punch to the side of the head.
ChatMulticolore
April 18, 2021 at 9:37 pm
Love it !! Thank you
i Th0rn3
April 18, 2021 at 9:50 pm
I just threw up in my mouth. Disgusting
Alley Cadat
April 18, 2021 at 9:52 pm
Satanic disinfo
wibur haarp
April 18, 2021 at 10:13 pm
o/
Iain Mackay
April 18, 2021 at 10:33 pm
What a load of rubbish 10 Pinocchio’s for your beliefs just because you want to change the meaning of a word does not make it real no trust in you mister linguistic
3dnygma
April 18, 2021 at 10:58 pm
great talk! aside from respecting more people’s identities, singular “they” has been around for ages already and it is certainly here to stay 🙂
catmanmancat
April 18, 2021 at 11:36 pm
What tf is this? It’s AWFUL. We don’t “change language.”
Big porno studio 2.0
April 19, 2021 at 1:31 am
What’s the thing speaking supposed to be ?
Andrew Friend
April 19, 2021 at 1:41 am
Gender is a social construct based on biology that evolves over time, differently in different societies. The concept of “woman” and the social traits associated with it weren’t just made up by someone one day. They became the norm, based on biology. Which is different different from what’s happening today. Now we have people with an ideology sitting down and literally making up genders on the spot, with no grounding in biology or culture, it’s just one individual’s creation. “Woman” is a social construct that has real world foundations. “Aquagender” is a child’s fantasy.
Big John Stud
April 19, 2021 at 1:51 am
Is this a man or a woman?
slokiebear
April 19, 2021 at 3:00 am
This chick is educating us on her experience in her echo chamber. That’s enjoyable to learn about.
Scott Trosien
April 19, 2021 at 3:59 am
TED quality has fallen so far without having an actual audience/vetting.
aycc-nbh72
April 19, 2021 at 5:16 am
But my question is what happens in languages where absolutely everything is categorized into a gender. Only 25% of the world’s languages do this, but major world languages such as French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Arabic all have this feature.
EmmaBGames
April 19, 2021 at 5:49 am
you make new words
Александр Усков
April 19, 2021 at 9:54 pm
Some languages, like Russian and German, have 3 grammatical genders (“masculine”, “feminine” and something in the middle, never used for living beings, probably being closest to English “it”), and Swedish has two, none of which are “masculine” or “feminine”. Also, the most popular world language by the number of native speakers, which is Chinese, has no such concept at all, while a lot of African languages have so many grammatical categories, that they are called “classes” and do not relate to gender concepts as well.
Lucky enough, in most places on Earth there’s not a single good reason why you should care about using specific words, titles or pronouns for people with special needs only because they demand it or belong to any particular cultural or social group, unless it’s someone you personally care for, in which case he/she/they/whatever might as well require you to address them with “your highness” , “Princess Consuela Banana Hammock”, “mrgl-mrgl” or any other sequence of sounds they seem appropriate, and it’s your choice to do so (or not to do so). It has absolutely nothing to do with language, neither it requires revisiting the rules that are used by common folk, who have no such exquisite claims
Turbo Duckhead
April 19, 2021 at 6:33 am
Identify as a 40% statistic.
RichConnerGMN
April 19, 2021 at 9:45 pm
identify as funny
Plasmktan
April 19, 2021 at 8:19 am
Is this the wrong time and place to ask everyone’s opinion on the JQ?
متعب المثاكبة
April 22, 2021 at 10:07 pm
109
Kavil Wagh
April 19, 2021 at 9:23 am
Their way of presentating was claiming and informative.
SJ
April 19, 2021 at 9:26 am
Is he a trans?
William Spiller
April 19, 2021 at 9:42 am
Poor non binary /girl/trans/boy is a bit confused. l would not like to see this person doing talks at my children’s schools. Or any where.
Yespire
April 19, 2021 at 9:47 am
When did TED make the left turn off the cliff ? Please mourn for TED’s demise in silence for 1 second.
Chase Callahan
April 19, 2021 at 9:50 am
Me still gonna call a dude… a dude so stfu
요길myway
April 19, 2021 at 11:25 am
I learned a lot. Thanks.
warnut8
April 19, 2021 at 1:04 pm
Multiculturalism and lgbt for Israel!
Melissa Justice
April 19, 2021 at 2:20 pm
Linguists are manipulative and I’m not surprised….the tribe always manipulates language.
Tom Abramoff
April 19, 2021 at 2:35 pm
Archie is a women’s and gender studies PhD student which is all that really needs to be said. Their goal is not to be scientific, but to be an activist.
Mahinder p
April 19, 2021 at 3:36 pm
This is a good argument to how it’s completely okay to identify yourself as a “Apache attack helicopter”
Mr.ΠΩβΩDΨ
April 19, 2021 at 3:48 pm
That joke is so 2016 lmao
Pyro Falcon
April 19, 2021 at 4:21 pm
Millennials…. lmao
Christopher Mendoza
April 19, 2021 at 7:56 pm
Beautiful historically-situated analysis of how we participate in language change to build a world and a society that celebrates all of us.
RichConnerGMN
April 19, 2021 at 9:45 pm
this comment section is horrendous
Village Reading Library
April 20, 2021 at 12:05 am
I agree with everything, but what you fail to realize is that people are not typically forced to make these language transitions. They happen organically, as language evolves. The solution here is simple: you speak how you want, and let others speak how they want. If we truly love and respect one another, there is no reason why we can’t forgive our language differences and not be offended just because someone calls themselves ‘they,’ or someone else calls us ‘him’ or ‘her.’
Mabel Sheen
April 20, 2021 at 9:06 am
Very clear
Ahmad Radja
April 20, 2021 at 2:22 pm
Kesimpulan
This is an uncredibly smart and eloquently put talk that everyone shouljd watch
Pendapat
Many people in today’s society assume they are hated for their race, sexuality, gender, when in reality they are just unlikable narcissists
Killjoy Returns
April 20, 2021 at 7:57 pm
Are you also related to Alastair Crowley? Juden.
Ricardo Charriez
April 20, 2021 at 11:24 pm
This was soooooo good! Wowza!
Ramez4Pidar
April 21, 2021 at 2:50 pm
where is the crowd? It seems like it talking to a wall. Did the shekels drive you insane?
MalinFluff
April 22, 2021 at 10:19 am
gotta save this somewhere for the next hater who says we’re complicating/destroying language
Andy Scallion
April 22, 2021 at 3:57 pm
They make it so confusing
Gary Woodward
April 22, 2021 at 8:58 pm
Turned off by notions of correct and incorrect – when applied to the evolution of ever changing language.
متعب المثاكبة
April 22, 2021 at 10:06 pm
Stfu