Re:The Punctuation Guide
by IshKebab on Thursday September 28, 2017 @08:32AM
(#15356603)
People who say "an historic", with a hard 'h'. It is because people used to say "an 'istoric", which is correct.
The reason "an" exists is because it is quite hard to say things like "a elephant". Much easier to say "an elephant". Similarly it's quite hard to say "a 'istoric occasion" - much easier to say "an 'istoric occasion".
However since we now say "historic", not "'istoric", it is much easier to say "a historic occasion" than "an historic occasion". For some reason this (and only this) combination has been repeated enough that people over-correct and think that there must be some rule that they never learnt that dictates that it is "an historic". They don't really consider why "an" exists.
Nobody ever says "Tomorrow I have an history lesson."
Anyway, that's about the only 'rule' I can think of that doesn't really have any exceptions.
The reason "an" exists is because it is quite hard to say things like "a elephant". Much easier to say "an elephant". Similarly it's quite hard to say "a 'istoric occasion" - much easier to say "an 'istoric occasion".
However since we now say "historic", not "'istoric", it is much easier to say "a historic occasion" than "an historic occasion". For some reason this (and only this) combination has been repeated enough that people over-correct and think that there must be some rule that they never learnt that dictates that it is "an historic". They don't really consider why "an" exists.
Nobody ever says "Tomorrow I have an history lesson."
Anyway, that's about the only 'rule' I can think of that doesn't really have any exceptions.