▁ ▁(' he '). ▁ ▁English ▁lost ▁gram mat ical ▁gender ▁during ▁the ▁late ▁Middle ▁A ges , ▁and ▁the ▁pron oun s ▁he ▁and ▁she ▁came ▁to ▁refer ▁to ▁animate ▁subjects ▁of ▁male ▁( or ▁ind et erm inate ) ▁and ▁female ▁bi ological ▁gender , ▁and ▁it ▁came ▁to ▁refer ▁to ▁in animate ▁subjects . ▁ ▁The ▁American ▁phil ologist ▁George ▁Per kins ▁Marsh ▁pos ited ▁that ▁this ▁animate – in animate ▁distinction ▁led ▁to ▁an ▁event ual ▁dis com fort ▁with ▁using ▁whose ▁to ▁refer ▁to ▁both . ▁ ▁In ▁some ▁dialect s , ▁thats ▁has ▁developed ▁as ▁a ▁col lo qu ial ▁gen itive ▁relative ▁pron oun ▁for ▁non - person al ▁ante ced ents , ▁as ▁in : ▁▁ ▁" That ' s ▁the ▁car ▁thats ▁alarm ▁keeps ▁w aking ▁us ▁up ▁at ▁night ." ▁ ▁Gr amm ars ▁and ▁style ▁gu ides ▁ ▁The ▁earliest ▁known ▁ob jections ▁to ▁the ▁in animate ▁whose ▁date ▁from ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 8 th ▁century . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 7 6 4 , ▁the ▁English ▁grammar ian ▁Robert ▁Low th ▁disapp ro ved ▁of ▁the ▁in animate ▁whose ▁except ▁in ▁" the ▁higher ▁Po etry , ▁which ▁lov es ▁to ▁consider ▁everything ▁as ▁bearing ▁a ▁personal ▁character ". ▁ ▁The ▁English ▁James ▁Buch an an ▁in ▁his ▁Reg ular ▁English ▁Syntax ▁of ▁ 1 7 6 7 ▁considered ▁in animate ▁whose ▁an ▁incorrect ▁construction ▁that ▁occurs ▁" in ▁the ▁lower ▁kind ▁of ▁poetry ▁and ▁pro se ", ▁but ▁accepted