[Date Prev][Date Next] [Thread Prev][Thread Next] [Date Index] [Thread Index]

Re: Another load of typos



Steve Langasek <vorlon@debian.org> writes:

> On Thu, Mar 17, 2005 at 09:04:14AM -0800, Thomas Bushnell BSG wrote:
> > Hamish Moffatt <hamish@debian.org> writes:
> 
> > > (This might be a topic without a possible conclusion!) 
> > > Funny, but although I'd say "an HTML file" or "an HTTPS url" or 
> > > similar, I'd say "a history achievement". 
> 
> > Ah, in "a history achievement", you accent the first syllable of
> > "history", which provokes you to pronounce the H.  In "an historic
> > achievement", the first syllable of "historic" is weak, and so most
> > Americans (at least) do not pronounce the H, and so we use "an".
> 
> The only people I can recall ever hearing say "an historic" in en_US were
> idiot politicians, and they *did* pronounce the initial h.
> 
> For that matter, I can't recall ever hearing anyone drop an initial h just
> because the syllable was unstressed.
> 
> On what do you base this claim of "most"?

The ones you speak of, who say "an historic" where they *are*
aspirating the H are not only idiot politicians, but they're in the
set.  Yes, that's a silly usage for Americans, though it was correct
for some dialects in England not to long ago.  I can't speak about
now. 

But "an historic" with no aspirated H, hrm, I hear it all the time.
But it's not easy to hear if you start thinking carefully "now how do
I pronounce this", because people generally have two ways to pronounce
words and phrases; one in rapid speech, and one when they are speaking
carefully and distinctly.  The way to tell is to start listening to
people, or better, give them a paragraph of text to read aloud.




Reply to: