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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