Gentle Spiders,
I may have asked this one before, you may have replied and I'd
forgotten... Such is life with memory running on "almost empty" <g>
When I was learning English as a kid (all those many years ago), we
were given rules about when/where/how to use which article, because
Polish doesn't have any.
We were told that, in singular, for an indefinite noun, one used either
"a" or "an" before the said noun. Ditto for an adjective preceding the
noun. The decision as to *which* of the two to use where, hinged - or
so we were told - on whether the said noun (or adjective) started with
a consonant or a vowel. The noun (or its introductory adjective) starts
with a consonant, it's preceded by "a"; it starts with a vowel, it's
preceded by "an". So far, so good. There were some exceptions, we were
also told, and had to memorise a few.
It wasn't until I was at the U, that I was told that the so-called
"exceptions" weren't really; the a/an rule operated on *sounds*, not
spelling. "H" may be a consonant, but, sometimes, it's "silent" - not
pronounced. When it's silent (memorize the instances, or sound like an
uneducated person <g>) *AND* in front of a vowel, then, *and only then*
it takes on "an" as an article. Thus "a harridan", but "an honourable
deed", since, in the second instance, the word is pronounced
"onorable", with the "h" silent ("arridan" being no more acceptable
than "enry" <g>). Good, a rule I can understand...
But, more and more, the "rule" seems to be fraying at the edges, till
I'm worried - more than usual - about opening my mouth in "real life"
rather than in writing...
Take "history"; it's almost always preceded by "an" when written.
Should I, then, say "an istorical fact"? Same for "hotel". I know the
"h" is silent *in French*, but, should I say "an otel reservation" in
English?
And, yesterday - in an otherwise great book - I got another one: "an
Hispanic maid". Have I been adding, for all those years an H where it
ad no place, like a mad Cockney who drops and insterts is aitches
indiscriminately? I ave been saying "hispanic" but obviously, I should
have been saying "ispanic"...
Yours, a foreigner puzzled...
--
Tamara P Duvall http://t-n-lace.net/
Lexington, Virginia, USA (Formerly of Warsaw, Poland)
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