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Post by Paul Doherty on May 25, 2008 17:41:33 GMT
Must have been a temporary thing. His avatar's there now.
As for loan words, Barry, I wasn't disagreeing, just making the point that we don't quite treat them as English. Not sure we ever will.
And as George Bush allegedly said, the French don't even have a word for entrepreneur.
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Post by Bertie on May 25, 2008 19:55:09 GMT
A hotel sounds plain ugly to me, as I am used to saying an 'otel.
An 'orse, an 'orse, my kingdom for an 'orse.
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Post by Sue M-V on May 25, 2008 20:58:42 GMT
An 'orse, an 'orse, my kingdom for an 'orse.
If you're a monarch, Bertie, I suppose you can please yourself what you say! Sue
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Post by Pete on May 25, 2008 21:20:16 GMT
A hotel sounds plain ugly to me, as I am used to saying an 'otel. I think someone on the previous forum had a theory based on where the emphasis is in the word following the indefinite object. So "an ho tel" and "an his toric moment", where the first syllable is not accented, but "a history", where it is. Does anyone remember this or is my mind playing tricks (again)?
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Post by Barry on May 25, 2008 21:21:10 GMT
But, given who the monarch in question was, you won't have much time left to say it in!
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Post by Geoff on May 25, 2008 22:19:52 GMT
I would always say 'a hotel', 'a historic moment', etc. 'An' sounds very odd to me Interesting. Whichever way I try to pronounce the 'a' before 'historic' or 'horrific', I find it hard to sound the two words with any fluency. It's that same (apparent) difficulty I hear when others say the words. Strange, though, I have no difficulty with 'a hotel'. I recall the theory that the use of 'a' or 'an' depends on where the stress is placed in the following word. It seems to work for me.
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Post by Trevor on May 26, 2008 9:38:58 GMT
Latchstring: six consonants. Not that anyone asked.
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Post by Verbivore on May 26, 2008 10:58:19 GMT
I think someone on the previous forum had a theory based on where the emphasis is in the word following the indefinite object. So "an ho tel" and "an his toric moment", where the first syllable is not accented, but "a history", where it is. Does anyone remember this or is my mind playing tricks (again)? Pete: No, your mind is being faithful! That very matter has been discussed more than once on the APS board.
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Post by Blonde Bombsite on May 26, 2008 11:30:42 GMT
Greetings All,
Great new site!
With regards to "a" or "an" before words beginning with h, I have something in my distant momory about it depending on where the accent of the h word lies. Thus, words with same etymology take either a or an depending on how they are pronounced.
I'm afraid it's all a bit vague and I can't remember the details so I can't offer any examples. Does this ring true with anyone else?
Cheers,
BB
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Post by Blonde Bombsite on May 26, 2008 11:34:44 GMT
Sorry,
Didn't realise that Pete had already said something similar. for some reason I didn't have access to all of the posts until after I had sent my reply.
In answer, Yes Pete that does ring a bell with me too!
BB
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Post by Paul Doherty on May 26, 2008 11:43:58 GMT
BB! Nice to see you again. Join us, don't be a guest.
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Post by Pete on May 26, 2008 11:56:53 GMT
Greetings All, Great new site! With regards to "a" or "an" before words beginning with h, I have something in my distant momory about it depending on where the accent of the h word lies. Thus, words with same etymology take either a or an depending on how they are pronounced. I'm afraid it's all a bit vague and I can't remember the details so I can't offer any examples. Does this ring true with anyone else? Cheers, BB Welcome, BB (if I may be so familiar). I think a load of posts on this point went on almost simultaneously and both Geoff and Verbivore agree that we have indeed discussed this before.
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Post by Tone on May 26, 2008 20:25:24 GMT
>I think someone on the previous forum had a theory based on where the emphasis is in the word following<
'Twas, I'm pretty sure, the illustrious Twoddle (who has departed this land) who laid down this "rule" in detail.
As far as I'm concerned, it's "a hotel" and "an 'otel". But the hayburner is always an 'orse. (Especially since one busted Tone's knee.)
Tone
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Post by Gabriel-Ernest on May 27, 2008 12:59:45 GMT
An 'orse, an 'orse, my kingdom for an 'orse.
I think that you will find that dear old Richard III (via Shakespeare) was in fact asking for a doughty warrior to come to his rescue. A Norse, a Norse, my kingdom for a Norse. I’m sorry, I couldn’t resist. (As some of my friends have remarked: “Well, just try harder next time!”)
As for ‘plateaued’ it sounds absolutely dreadful to my ear. (Actually, to be picky, before anyone else is, I was going to say ‘awful’ but the word is not full of awe, or full of dread come to that – it’s just plain bad!) Also, it suggests that whatever is being referred to cannot improve in any way. Once you reach a plateau that’s it. ‘Though I have no doubt that someone somewhere will decide that “we can build on the plateau that we have reached and do better in the future”.
As for the ‘a’ and ‘an’ debate, I agree with Tone. It is all down to how you pronounce the word following.
G-E. p.s. Netnanny wouldn't let me refer to Richard with the diminutive of his name!
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Post by Dave M on May 27, 2008 13:31:41 GMT
Although I say "a historic occasion" and "a horrific accident", the pattern followed by those who'd add the "n" is that it's:
"an" when the SECOND SYLLABLE is stressed (of a word beginning with an aspirate aitch.)
(Still a silly pattern, to my ears!)
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