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The Happy Warrior
Joined: 10 Feb 2010
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 Posted: Sun May 16, 2010 8:34 am Post subject: An European or A European |
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Which is it?
A European
An European |
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goniff
Joined: 31 Dec 2007
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| Posted: Sun May 16, 2010 8:46 am Post subject: |
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ha ha ha!!
this is classic!
what are the odds this moron is actually teaching some poor unsuspecting sods? |
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.38 Special
Joined: 08 Jul 2009
Location: Pennsylvania
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| Posted: Sun May 16, 2010 9:18 am Post subject: |
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| goniff wrote: |
ha ha ha!!
this is classic!
what are the odds this moron is actually teaching some poor unsuspecting sods? |
His is a valid question. What's your excuse? 
Here is another: a history or an history? a honor or an honor.
In terms of grammar the choice may be deceptively clear. Consider popular pronunciation in North America, however, and things get sticky.
I'm no historian, but I believe the use of articles is principally dictated by the sound of the first syllable and not the first letter, as in the French.
OP, here is a useful website to get you on your way:
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/591/01/ |
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Sergio Stefanuto
Joined: 14 May 2009
Location: UK
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| Posted: Sun May 16, 2010 11:10 am Post subject: |
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'An historic' has always bugged me.
I've never even heard 'an European'. |
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Mr. Pink
Joined: 21 Oct 2003
Location: China
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| Posted: Sun May 16, 2010 2:31 pm Post subject: Re: An European or A European |
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| The Happy Warrior wrote: |
Which is it?
A European
An European |
A European.
Why? It goes by the sound, not the actual spelling. The opening sound in that word sounds like You, not a strong vowel sound. |
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Seoulio
Joined: 02 Jan 2010
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| Posted: Sun May 16, 2010 2:47 pm Post subject: |
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This is right up there with people who pronounce "herb" with a hard H.
I too would NEVER use an before "historic" |
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blackjack
Joined: 04 Jan 2006
Location: anyang
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| Posted: Sun May 16, 2010 2:52 pm Post subject: |
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| Seoulio wrote: |
This is right up there with people who pronounce "herb" with a hard H.
I too would NEVER use an before "historic" |
What's wrong with 'herb" rather than "erb"? |
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cj1976
Joined: 26 Oct 2005
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JMO
Joined: 18 Jul 2006
Location: Daegu
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| Posted: Sun May 16, 2010 3:08 pm Post subject: Re: An European or A European |
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| Mr. Pink wrote: |
| The Happy Warrior wrote: |
Which is it?
A European
An European |
A European.
Why? It goes by the sound, not the actual spelling. The opening sound in that word sounds like You, not a strong vowel sound. |
Yea, this is how I teach it. The examples I use are university/ugly and honor student/handy man.
I wasn't aware there was a controversy. |
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jvalmer
Joined: 06 Jun 2003
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| Posted: Sun May 16, 2010 3:09 pm Post subject: |
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| herb with the 'h' for me. |
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.38 Special
Joined: 08 Jul 2009
Location: Pennsylvania
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| Posted: Sun May 16, 2010 3:27 pm Post subject: |
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Ironically, the same left-over Francophone rule that dictates "an historic" (silent H) and herb (silent H) 
Seriously, there are as many forms of English as there are English speaking people. Herb and 'erb aren't exactly important. Pronounce it as you will, and if you don't like the way someone else talks... keep it to yourself. |
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Seoulio
Joined: 02 Jan 2010
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| Posted: Sun May 16, 2010 3:42 pm Post subject: |
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Herb to me is always a mans name and drums up images of Herb Tarleck from WKRP in Cincinatti.
Erb sounds almost poetic.
I also get perterbed by the word "schedule" WITHOUT the hard C sound. I always follow that up with "what school did you go to? ( and of course i say school like "SHOOL")
This is the stupid thing about having a langauge that has basically raped 5 or 6 others for its entire existence. Theres no real set standards for anything. |
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Moldy Rutabaga
Joined: 01 Jul 2003
Location: Ansan, Korea
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| Posted: Sun May 16, 2010 8:45 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| What's wrong with 'herb" rather than "erb"? |
I always thought it was the herb, mon. 
Europe is pronounced with a consonant sound and not a vowel sound: yeh-rupp, and so it takes a and not an. The actual spelling is irrelevant. I would say that using an is incorrect prescriptively, because it breaks the rule, and also descriptively is never done; at least I've never heard it.
Herb, history, honor, all have equally valid dialect pronunciations, as they are generally Latinate words which have had soft or absent h pronunciations throughout the centuries. Anglo-Saxon words like happy, hill, or height usually do have h's, although they might also disappear in some British variants: 'ello, 'arry! |
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T-dot
Joined: 16 May 2004
Location: bundang
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| Posted: Sun May 16, 2010 9:01 pm Post subject: |
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| No way the op is asking a serious question; troll. |
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Fox
Joined: 04 Mar 2009
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| Posted: Sun May 16, 2010 9:16 pm Post subject: Re: An European or A European |
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| Mr. Pink wrote: |
| The Happy Warrior wrote: |
Which is it?
A European
An European |
A European.
Why? It goes by the sound, not the actual spelling. The opening sound in that word sounds like You, not a strong vowel sound. |
I agree with Mr. Pink. |
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