Gender neutral titles: Difference between revisions
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'''History and meaning (as a gender-neutral title):''' Used as a gender-neutral version of "Sir" in works of fiction such as Greg Bear's ''The Way'' novels, and the ''Dragon Age'' series of video games. | '''History and meaning (as a gender-neutral title):''' Used as a gender-neutral version of "Sir" in works of fiction such as Greg Bear's ''The Way'' novels, and the ''Dragon Age'' series of video games. | ||
'''Similar-looking titles:''' While the title "Ser" is hundreds of years old, and has been used in a lot of media, it does not always mean the same thing, and is not gender-neutral in all cases. It's also not always equivalent to Mr or Ms, and may imply that a person has a specific profession or status. In the 1400s, "Ser" was "an honorific title usually given to notaries."<ref>Girolamo Savonarola, ''A guide to righteous living and other works.'' p. 149. </ref> In the seventeenth century in Tuscany, "Ser" was one of the titles given to physicians, and thus equivalent to "Doctor".<ref>David Gentilcore, ''Healers and healing in early modern Italy.'' p. 58.</ref> In Game of Thrones, "Ser" is the title given to knights, who are | '''Similar-looking titles:''' While the title "Ser" is hundreds of years old, and has been used in a lot of media, it does not always mean the same thing, and is not gender-neutral in all cases. It's also not always equivalent to Mr or Ms, and may imply that a person has a specific profession or status. In the 1400s, "Ser" was "an honorific title usually given to notaries."<ref>Girolamo Savonarola, ''A guide to righteous living and other works.'' p. 149. </ref> In the seventeenth century in Tuscany, "Ser" was one of the titles given to physicians, and thus equivalent to "Doctor".<ref>David Gentilcore, ''Healers and healing in early modern Italy.'' p. 58.</ref> In Game of Thrones, "Ser" is the title given to knights, who are mostly male except in the case of Ser Brienne of Tarth.<ref>"Knighthood." ''Game of Thrones Wiki.'' http://gameofthrones.wikia.com/wiki/Knighthood </ref> Many examples of fiction use Ser, but they don't all use it to mean the same thing, as can be seen in [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/FantasticHonorifics TV Tropes's article about Ser and other unusual honorifics in fiction]. "Ser" is also not to be confused with a similar title, "Sr," meaning "sister," the title given to a Catholic nun.<ref>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_honorifics </ref> | ||
'''Use:''' In the 2019 Gender Census, Ser was chosen by 0.1% of respondents.<ref name="Census2018"/> | '''Use:''' In the 2019 Gender Census, Ser was chosen by 0.1% of respondents.<ref name="Census2018"/> | ||