An history

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AN history?? Please somebody, tell me why.

― Tracer Hand, Tuesday, 19 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

because the h is not pronounced haitch

― anthony, Tuesday, 19 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

same as 'an hotel' (hotel pronounced 'otel). due to origins of the words (i'm presuming French)

― michael, Tuesday, 19 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I want to know what dipwads are going around saying "istory" and "otel." let's start with that.

― Samantha, Tuesday, 19 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

But French people, it seems, have a very hard time with words that begin with an "a" sound. Emma B's constantly telling me to kiss her "hass".

― Tracer Hand, Tuesday, 19 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

We've taken the "h" in herb and now we've come for the rest. -America

― lawrence kansas, Tuesday, 19 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

well the entire population of east london for a start

this is the only thing my editor and i argue about (well that and spaces between words, which i think are overrated and unnecessary and a waste of space)

― mark s, Tuesday, 19 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Mark, your editor must then also intercept your posts to ILx. I'm assuming he takes his 10% of your commissions, too.

― xwerxes, Tuesday, 19 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

So the entire population of East London has driven this vestigial bit of grammar forward, through their unstintingly scrupulous use of the indefinite article? Meet me on the Crouch End rollercoaster, bub.

― Tracer Hand, Tuesday, 19 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

space = infinite on the net, not in the magazine

also he is a she

― mark s, Tuesday, 19 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

on the question is she pro-an or anti, mark?

― Tracer Hand, Tuesday, 19 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Actually I think it's mostly unseful insofar as it clears up potential confusion concerning "a historical" versus "ahistorical." Plus, Tracer, say "a historical overview," pronouncing the H. Then say "an historical overview." See how the H is not so much dropped as sort of liased with the N -- "anistorical?" It does indeed flow a bit more smoothly.

― Nitsuh, Tuesday, 19 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

pro.

― mark s, Tuesday, 19 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Nitsuh there's no confusion with "ahistorical" because it's said with a real vowel sound at the beginning - whereas the "a" in "a historical" is pronounced, in the US at least, as the infamous schwa sound: "uh". Unless you're trying to sound uppity, and then you get what's coming to you.

Okay, you could make the arg. re: flow. But it's not definitively better, and certainly not enough for what amounts to a linguistic constitutional amendment for this word alone. Do you say "I have an hair in my soup?" Or do you maybe talk about "an horrible day I had last week?" Or "an hippie"? NO you don't because you A) have no hair B) are too pleasant and smart to have horrible days C) know no hippies because you live in Chicago where hippies are not allowed any more.

― Tracer hand, Tuesday, 19 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

hey i just googled — i was going to find and post a pic of uh nits-uh w. no hair — and it runs out the schwa corporation is now a website about WIFESWAPPING!!

― mark s, Tuesday, 19 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

http://www.sjgames.com/sjgames/inwo/art/ufo.gif

― , Tuesday, 19 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

"Meet me on the Crouch End rollercoaster, bub."
Fuck that, Chadwell Heath is 4REAL, people put yr car up on jacks and nick yr bloody wheels!

― DG, Tuesday, 19 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

tracer - you wouldn't say 'an hippy' etc because they're not supposed to be pronounced with a silent 'h'. 'hotel' and 'history' have had the audible 'h's added at some point in the past by people who thought they were being correct

― michael, Tuesday, 19 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

That N makes speaking too hard. ANNNNNNNN history. Fuck that. A history. That's more like it. And it SOUNDS better - fuck propriety, this is about aesthetic pleasures.

Nitsuh had some charming hair stubble, I thought.

― Daver, Tuesday, 19 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Orange and uncle have been created using the vowel use of the indefinite article - bothe were originally Nuncle and Norange respectively. I don't see any problem though with A Hotel and A Hospital.

― Pete, Wednesday, 20 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

My grandma used to speak posh in an effort to escape her Solihull roots and would say 'gel' for girl etc. She would say 'an hotel' but 'a hospital'.

― Emma, Wednesday, 20 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Orange and uncle...bothe were originally Nuncle and Norange respectively.

When exactly did they start calling nuncles oranges? How did this happen? Was it like entering the Euro or was it a gradual thing? If so, did they go via "norcle" and "rangle" and similar? God I'm bored.

― Sam, Wednesday, 20 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

In the Guardian style guide people who say/write 'an histor*' are laughed out of town.

― N., Wednesday, 20 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

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