Wednesday, August 02, 2006
Worlds colliding -- arrgh!
Book review for eggheady history publication due yesterday! Arrgh!
Only 200 of 600 words done. Arrgh!
Must go to work now. Arrgh!
Must work on review at work. Arrgh!
Hey, sometimes I work on work at home.
What I tell people is my job gets me up in the morning, and playing at being a historian keeps me up at night. Times like this, day and night lose all meaning -- because I put it off and put it off and put it off and it's my own dang fault!
Arrgh! Arrgh!
--ER
Only 200 of 600 words done. Arrgh!
Must go to work now. Arrgh!
Must work on review at work. Arrgh!
Hey, sometimes I work on work at home.
What I tell people is my job gets me up in the morning, and playing at being a historian keeps me up at night. Times like this, day and night lose all meaning -- because I put it off and put it off and put it off and it's my own dang fault!
Arrgh! Arrgh!
--ER
Comments:
<< Home
And it is, too, "a" historian -- not "an" historian, as most historians put it.
Unless it's "an" horse -- which it's not.
And now I will go get an other cup of coffee and go to work.
Unless it's "an" horse -- which it's not.
And now I will go get an other cup of coffee and go to work.
Hah--you sound like a pirate, with all those "arrgh"s!
And wouldn't the a/an depend on whether one drops the "h"? Granted, not something that's likely to happen in these parts, but possible.
And wouldn't the a/an depend on whether one drops the "h"? Granted, not something that's likely to happen in these parts, but possible.
Sam agrees with Kiki:
"As Mark Twain once wrote, referring to humble, heroic, and historical: 'Correct writers of the American language do not put an before those words' (The Stolen White Elephant,1882)."
"As Mark Twain once wrote, referring to humble, heroic, and historical: 'Correct writers of the American language do not put an before those words' (The Stolen White Elephant,1882)."
# posted by 
: 11:47 AM
: 11:47 AM
That's my point: One uses "an" only when the "h" is dropped. Why would it be dropped in "historian"?
I was referring to the need to cut back from 1,151 words to 600. Since this is your blog, I'm not responding here to that comment.
Or, it's "an historian" is you're a idjit -- yukyukyuk.
Seriously, do some people pronounce the word with a silent "h"?
I used to run into a similar thing when I was writing about agriculture.
If it was a story involving dusting for brush, I'd write about, for example, "an herbicide." Half the copyeditors would change it to "a herbicide."
Wha-at? My friend's name might be Herb, with a vocal "h," but the stuff they sprayed outta airplanes was "an" herbicide -- or it was to me because I pronounce the word with a silent "h."
Dude. This is the kind of discussion that can totally captivate a newsroom for HOURS, with people wielding dictionaries and Little, Browns and Strunk & Whites and such!
Seriously, do some people pronounce the word with a silent "h"?
I used to run into a similar thing when I was writing about agriculture.
If it was a story involving dusting for brush, I'd write about, for example, "an herbicide." Half the copyeditors would change it to "a herbicide."
Wha-at? My friend's name might be Herb, with a vocal "h," but the stuff they sprayed outta airplanes was "an" herbicide -- or it was to me because I pronounce the word with a silent "h."
Dude. This is the kind of discussion that can totally captivate a newsroom for HOURS, with people wielding dictionaries and Little, Browns and Strunk & Whites and such!
The Gospel is written in the AP Stylebook. Yes, as recently as 20 years ago there was a silent H on some words like historic (not history or historian.) That's since changed in American speech.
"An" was Old English for "one". According to the OED, it was reduced to just "a" before consonants as early as 1150 in some dialects. It also says that the retained "n" before an initial "h" was common through the 17th cenury.
My guess is that, like with so many things in our language, at this point it became a matter of "big paradigms eat little paradigms" (as an old prof of mine was wont to say). Because "a" is used more often than "an", the latter may eventually fade from use entirely.
Of course, the other factor here is writing. By its nature conservative, in that the rules of writing don't change nearly as quickly as our spoken language (think of the difference between the spelling and pronounciation of the word "knight"), writing will be the thing that ensures the continued use of "an". But as it falls out of use in spoken language, there will be more questions about its "correct" use in writing, leading to more arguments like this one.
How's that for circular?
My guess is that, like with so many things in our language, at this point it became a matter of "big paradigms eat little paradigms" (as an old prof of mine was wont to say). Because "a" is used more often than "an", the latter may eventually fade from use entirely.
Of course, the other factor here is writing. By its nature conservative, in that the rules of writing don't change nearly as quickly as our spoken language (think of the difference between the spelling and pronounciation of the word "knight"), writing will be the thing that ensures the continued use of "an". But as it falls out of use in spoken language, there will be more questions about its "correct" use in writing, leading to more arguments like this one.
How's that for circular?
I've been laughing about this for a while. He's got 551 words to cut, but dang, what's got his attention is that "n" in front of historian. LOL!
I have so such recollection, Senator!
I'm really hacked that I got busy with "work" today and didn't have time to whack at it! Arrgh!
I told the editor I'd have it "early" this week, which ended at noon! Arrgh!
Lingering Baptist guilt! Arrgh!
Maybe I'll go home and have a good stiff nonBaptist drink or three and edit it.
I did major revision to my master's thesis that way. Losing inhibitions means losing stupid attachments to unnecessary verbage!
I'm really hacked that I got busy with "work" today and didn't have time to whack at it! Arrgh!
I told the editor I'd have it "early" this week, which ended at noon! Arrgh!
Lingering Baptist guilt! Arrgh!
Maybe I'll go home and have a good stiff nonBaptist drink or three and edit it.
I did major revision to my master's thesis that way. Losing inhibitions means losing stupid attachments to unnecessary verbage!
Frenzied said: So I guess it's "an historian" if you write with a cockney accent. ;)
ER said: Or, it's "an historian" is you're a idjit -- yukyukyuk.
Well! You don't have to call names! ;)
This disturbs me. The Erudite Redneck might not know what a cockney accent is. Obviously, he has never seen "My Fair Lady." *giggle*
The cockney version of an english accent doesn't pronounce the "H" in pretty much anything. Guess it just depends which side of the pond you're on whether or not you might pronounce the "H".
yukyukyukyuk :)
ER said: Or, it's "an historian" is you're a idjit -- yukyukyuk.
Well! You don't have to call names! ;)
This disturbs me. The Erudite Redneck might not know what a cockney accent is. Obviously, he has never seen "My Fair Lady." *giggle*
The cockney version of an english accent doesn't pronounce the "H" in pretty much anything. Guess it just depends which side of the pond you're on whether or not you might pronounce the "H".
yukyukyukyuk :)
# posted by : 8:50 PM
: 8:50 PM
In Oklahoma we pronounce allah ofa the letters in a word and then some. There ain't no umble eroic istorians here.
# posted by : 9:03 PM
: 9:03 PM
Ar de ar, ar, ar!
I know what Cockney is. It's a British redneck dialect!
Drlobo's right. But what I say is we pronounce every syllable put before us, whether it needs to be or not. Consonants, too! :-)
BTW, I 'eard "a" NPR lady tonight say "a historian"! There is 'ope for the world!
I know what Cockney is. It's a British redneck dialect!
Drlobo's right. But what I say is we pronounce every syllable put before us, whether it needs to be or not. Consonants, too! :-)
BTW, I 'eard "a" NPR lady tonight say "a historian"! There is 'ope for the world!
OK, bein' a editor in such, I get a hoot out of this topic. And Trixies write: er is all cot up on a consanant when he shood be slicin' and dicin'. :-)
Oh, whew! I was really worried about your eruditedness. (Is that a word??)
At least I got a tad of a guffaw outta ya'! :)
Post a Comment
At least I got a tad of a guffaw outta ya'! :)
# posted by : 2:34 AM
: 2:34 AM << Home
