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French Language

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    Usage of such inclusivity in the 18th century : ceux ou celles,"Il ou elle" is frequently present in grammar books showing conjugation at 3rd person, "voici la vie ordinaire des Anglais et des Anglaises" dated 1790 Commented Feb 27, 2025 at 11:22
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    Toutefois, la misere de nostre tẽps est si grãde que pourveu que ceux ou celles avec lesquels l'on pretend s'allier, soeint bien fort riches, ils pourroiẽt estre (ie parle autant des femelles comme des masles) les plus contrefaicts, non seulement du corps, mais aussi de l'esprit [...] Gabriel de Minut, De la beauté, Discours divers, 1587. Commented Feb 27, 2025 at 12:50
  • In short: it has always existed, but it is a lot more prevalent these days. Note that there are alternative ways of writing this (mostly in simple cases where there's just a letter more/less), which used to be "les candidat(e)s" but is nowadays "les candidat.e.s" or "les candidat•e•s". In spoken language you would enunciate both forms as in your examples. Commented Feb 27, 2025 at 15:48