RE: A User or An User?

["Lauren" <lauren -at- writeco -dot- net>]

> From: McLauchlan, Kevin

> Has anyone ever heard a Brit refer to a "Nistory" book? Or a
> "n'istorical occasion"?  Oi vey!
> And one presumes that English IS their first language...    :-)

Well in defense of Brits, the "h" in "history" is silent, but implied.  ;-)

Here's some etymological trivia.  The word "apron" evolved as an
etymological error from the phrase "a napron."  Napron was derived from Old
French "naperon," a derivative of "nape," the source of "napery" and
"napkin."  Other words that have suffered from the mistaken use of the
article include "umpire" and "adder." (Source:  Dictionary of Word Origins
by John Ayto.)

Personally, I say (and write) "a history book" and I say "an historical
event."  I also pronounce either based on the context, so there is eye-ther
or ee-ther, depending on how the sentence sounds, but usually, eye-ther.

Lauren



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