|
|
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 1,055
old hand
|
|
old hand
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 1,055 |
I thought the whole a/an debate was pretty clear cut, but after reading a recent CSC report (www.csc.com) on outsourcing, I'm not quite so sure. Checking the archives reveals that belM wrote 'an U.S.' once here.
I think it is agreed that "an" should be used before a word beginning with a vowel sound, however the word is spelled, and that the 'h' problem is a matter of prerogative/pronunciation. So what is the consensus on this odd sounding one:
"... outsourcing is based on an U.S. perspective."
p.s. We've had this topic? - Oh, well. Where's the link? :-)
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 1,385
veteran
|
|
veteran
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 1,385 |
So what is the consensus on this odd sounding one
I've wondered about that myself BelligerentYouth. If it sounds odd, I'd rather be the odd man out myself.
BTW Jackie says you've written some great poetry. I hope you will share some of it with us. "Miscellany" maybe?
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803 |
I've seen plenty of cases where the writer forgets that it is a pronunciation thing and tosses in the an just because there is an initial vowel in the spelling of the following word. Then you get the case of someone choosing a or an based on the spelling of an initialism. Sometimes, when I am proofreading and come across a new (to me) initialism that I have never heard spoken, I have to ask an engineer if it is, e.g., a HID or an Aitch Eye Dee.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 1,055
old hand
|
|
old hand
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 1,055 |
> I've seen plenty of cases where the writer forgets that it is a pronunciation thing and tosses in the an just because there is an initial vowel in the spelling of the following word.
I guess that's what happend. It just seems pretty unlikely such a mistake would be made with 'U.S.', what with it being so common.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 3,467
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 3,467 |
TEd
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 95
journeyman
|
|
journeyman
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 95 |
Well many people pronounce the word 'h' as "haitch" or something close to that... so in that case "a HID" would be acceptable, although "an" would also work, cf. an history.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803 |
cf. an history
I'll accept an historical but not an history. Course a *real prescriptivist would require an before all words, irregardless of whether or not they did or didn't start with a vowel sound or not.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 95
journeyman
|
|
journeyman
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 95 |
Ah, you're right, my mistake - I wasn't thinking clearly when I wrote it.
This subject reminds me of the corruption of "a norange" into "an orange" as well as "a napron" into "an apron" in English, merely (I assume) because of the way people began to pronounce the article a.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 1,055
old hand
|
|
old hand
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 1,055 |
> the corruption of "a norange" into "an orange" as well as "a napron" into "an apron" in English
Yeah, that's right! Do these examples indicate a certain like of 'an' rather than 'a', or does it have more to do with syballic progression, you think? I guess, if written language jars too much with the rhythm of the vernacular, then the strength of the spoken word asserts itself and typography must (eventually) bow to the pressure. It's crazy to think that a word's pronunciation with an indefinite article could determine a noun's orthography. But then it just goes to prove the chilling falsity of the fundamental assumption embedded into language - that things (i.e. nouns) are at the centre of any action.
Does you know any other similar examples offhand, AnimaL?
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803 |
It goes the other way, too. A newt used to be an eute and a nickname was an ekename.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 2,154
Pooh-Bah
|
|
Pooh-Bah
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 2,154 |
I keep seeing "nuncle" scattered around, is this a nother example or just an ekename?
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,788
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,788 |
nuncle. noun. Chiefly British. = uncle.
Like contracted from "an uncle" or "mine uncle" according to some etymological sources.
Shakespeare used it multiply in Lear.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803 |
It also occurred to me that one whose primary language is not necessarily English might, at least on some level, pronounce U.S. as OO ESS rather than YOO ESS.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 1,055
old hand
|
|
old hand
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 1,055 |
> primary language is not necessarily English might, at least on some level, pronounce U.S. as OO ESS rather than YOO ESS.
What for an level please?:-) No, it certainly seems possible. The guy who wrote the report I mentioned is definitely a Brit, but.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803 |
definitely a Brit
Well, if he'd been German, say …
|
|
|
|
Forums16
Topics13,916
Posts230,413
Members9,211
| |
Most Online17,319
Apr 8th, 2026
|
|
|
|
