"An"

Yeah you know the word that you put before a vowel or some few exceptions such as hour, honour, etc., well what is it becoming an absolute norm in media for?

I used to read it the odd time in papers thinking the English editors etc, but this is becoming all the fecking time now and I just think it's crap tbh. Am I missing something?

It sounds completely stupid and unnatural in reporting when you hear an Irish accent come out with an - before horrific etc and yes you can notice the effort it took to say that rather than the normal Irish way.

biko

I don't understand, are you taking offence to media using "an" in a proper way?
And that the Irish media used to use "a" instead of "an"?

I haven't noticed it myself, can you link to any examples?

Just one of lots going on and growing with time.
I don't see how it's the proper way of using "an".

Eliot Rosewater

He pronounces it "horrific" not "orrific" so, yes, I think his use of "an" is wrong. It seems a very contrived usage. I see no problem with people using "an" if they just happen to treat the first h as silent. The a/an rule is based on pronunciation rather than spelling, after all.


It's funny that you posted such a tragic news story to make what many people would consider to be a trivial point about language. I read an atrociously written article in the Irish Examiner once, and had a thread written out about it here and everything, but the article was about child abuse so I cancelled the thread lest someone would accuse me of insensitivity. I posted it on a Wordpress blog that no one reads instead!

Yeah you're right there and point taken on sensitivity.

looksee

I would be more likely - in speech anyway - to pronounce the 'h' in horrific, herb (but not honour or hour, and hotel could go either way). So I would say 'a'. Chances are I would write it like that too. There are loads of 'h' words no-one would put 'an' in front of - horse, hollow, hot. Why not? Is it just French derived words that lose the 'h'?

One I often see is "an historic moment."

Usersname

I think it's because of the British. Pronounce these words with a British accent and most of the time the 'h' becomes silent, warranting the use of 'an' instead of 'a'.

It sickens me that people in this country are adopting this form of English, have we no individuality left at all??

Eliot Rosewater

Jay D wrote: »

Yeah you're right there and point taken on sensitivity.

I wasn't actually saying the thread was insensitive, I don't think it is really. A language error is a language error regardless. It's just you had the balls to set it up, whereas I didn't!

Karsini wrote: »

One I often see is "an historic moment."

I don't think that's wrong though. The h in historic seems to be silent, so the first sound is a vowel sound, hence the "an".

Usersname

Eliot Rosewater wrote: »

The h in historic seems to be silent

Em, not it's not. I don't think I know anyone who doesn't pronounce the 'h' in 'historic'.

Eliot Rosewater

Yup you're right (and I agreed before: http://boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055765414&highlight=Eliot+Rosewater ).

I just slipped it off the tongue a few times and it seemed to come out "istoric". That's the problem with the internet: too fast, and not enough time for thought and reflection!

Eliot Rosewater

Eliot Rosewater wrote: »

I wasn't actually saying the thread was insensitive, I don't think it is really. A language error is a language error regardless. It's just you had the balls to set it up, whereas I didn't!



I don't think that's wrong though. The h in historic seems to be silent, so the first sound is a vowel sound, hence the "an".

No just that particular link, if a family member etc sees.

And we can let the English use it a bit different but we pronounce our h's. RTE here lads, unbelievable.


Unnatural, false and stupid.

looksee

Usersname wrote: »

I think it's because of the British. Pronounce these words with a British accent and most of the time the 'h' becomes silent, warranting the use of 'an' instead of 'a'.

It sickens me that people in this country are adopting this form of English, have we no individuality left at all??

What's a British accent? I think you are confusing accent with 'talking posh' On the subject of wandering h's there are frequent examples of individuality when people refer to troath (throat), thought (taught), tought (thought), I don't think you need get too sick!

FruitLover

looksee wrote: »

people refer to troath (throat), thought (taught), tought (thought)

Don't forget 'heighth'...

looksee

looksee wrote: »

What's a British accent? I think you are confusing accent with 'talking posh' On the subject of wandering h's there are frequent examples of individuality when people refer to troath (throat), thought (taught), tought (thought), I don't think you need get too sick!

They come naturally, albeit a common approach to speaking but RTE not only say things incorrectly but go out of their way to do so for hundreds of thousands to see.

Permabear

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