Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxl!ihnp4!inuxc!pur-ee!uiucdcs!uicsl!preece From: preece@uicsl.UUCP Newsgroups: net.nlang Subject: Re: Question about 'an' - (nf) Message-ID: <5351@uiucdcs.UUCP> Date: Fri, 3-Feb-84 23:15:01 EST Article-I.D.: uiucdcs.5351 Posted: Fri Feb 3 23:15:01 1984 Date-Received: Wed, 8-Feb-84 05:39:42 EST Lines: 17 #R:ihuxq:-56700:uicsl:8600039:000:603 uicsl!preece Feb 3 09:45:00 1984 Dixit Webster: "an ... (2) [used] invariably before h-initial words in which the h is silent; (3) [used] frequently before h-initial words which have in an initial unstressed syllable an \h\ sound often lost after the an " Use with initial vowels is dependent on sound: invariably use an with initial vowel sounds, optionally otherwise (e.g., is permissible). Note that you would invariably say "an 'h'" because the "word" 'h' starts with a vowel sound. Another topic resurrected; we went through this a year or so ago. scott preece ihnp4!uiucdcs!uicsl!preece