“They” has always been an indirect pronoun.

Not really in daily usage though. It’s a recent thing.

I’m aware of the few historical cases when it was used in a plural sense. But most usage of it in modern times is singular. We’re now making a concerted effort today to start using it as a plural, since gender fluidity is a public thing now. But there’s generations that have used it as a singular, and it takes time to get used to that.

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