Sarah Palin scares me. I'm boycotting the reality of this election. We can have a real one when people stop being stupid... I suspect the day won't come.
Also gotta note (since I'm reading your blog in a blatant effort to avoid doing my homework) that I appreciate your remarks on the sad misuse of English's indefinite articles "a" and "an". Those blessed little signifiers of general nouns just cannot quite be grokked by our lesser-minded classmates, can they?
But why is an "h" (an!!!) sometimes audible (as in "house") and sometimes not (as in "hour")? It's Greek! Some words in Greek have "rough breathing" aspiration on the first syllable if that syllable is either a lone vowel or a diphthong, resulting in the "house" sound. Otherwise, a lone vowel or diphthong has "soft breathing" aspiration which results in the "hour" sound.
What I can't figure out is why English spelling includes an "h" at all in those instances where soft breathing is replicated.
Also, I can't figure out why we (Americans) say "herb" with soft breathing while you (Brits) say it with rough breathing.
Uhm... I'm gonna go do my homework now. Really. Speak soon.
With regard to the Palin reality, it seems to me that the only reason she hasn't been totally berated by the media is for their fear of appearing misogynistic or condescending. The reason Tina Fey's impersonation is widely accepted rests on Fey being a woman. Until the enitre spectrum of American politics divorces itself from the middle ground, elections like these will always hinge on such trivial things - Couric interviews, "lipstick on a pig", etc etc.
Thank you for the clarification on the '"an" versus "a" issue'. I'm delighted to have genuine, academic, liguistic evidence to add to my canon of attack. Your expertise in ancient Greek suddenly seems so purposeful.
The "herb" question goes unanswered. I have no idea why you don't pronounce the "h". It seems amazing to me. In fact, the entire herbal catalogue is riddled with anomolies - "basil", "oregano", etc. Maybe it's an attempt to sound somehow more authentic and worldly. The French would be pleased.
Anyway, I shall catch-up on your blog. Enjoy you homework. Keep me up to date on your England plans too.
3 comments:
Sarah Palin scares me. I'm boycotting the reality of this election. We can have a real one when people stop being stupid... I suspect the day won't come.
How's you?
Also gotta note (since I'm reading your blog in a blatant effort to avoid doing my homework) that I appreciate your remarks on the sad misuse of English's indefinite articles "a" and "an". Those blessed little signifiers of general nouns just cannot quite be grokked by our lesser-minded classmates, can they?
But why is an "h" (an!!!) sometimes audible (as in "house") and sometimes not (as in "hour")? It's Greek! Some words in Greek have "rough breathing" aspiration on the first syllable if that syllable is either a lone vowel or a diphthong, resulting in the "house" sound. Otherwise, a lone vowel or diphthong has "soft breathing" aspiration which results in the "hour" sound.
What I can't figure out is why English spelling includes an "h" at all in those instances where soft breathing is replicated.
Also, I can't figure out why we (Americans) say "herb" with soft breathing while you (Brits) say it with rough breathing.
Uhm... I'm gonna go do my homework now. Really. Speak soon.
With regard to the Palin reality, it seems to me that the only reason she hasn't been totally berated by the media is for their fear of appearing misogynistic or condescending. The reason Tina Fey's impersonation is widely accepted rests on Fey being a woman. Until the enitre spectrum of American politics divorces itself from the middle ground, elections like these will always hinge on such trivial things - Couric interviews, "lipstick on a pig", etc etc.
Thank you for the clarification on the '"an" versus "a" issue'. I'm delighted to have genuine, academic, liguistic evidence to add to my canon of attack. Your expertise in ancient Greek suddenly seems so purposeful.
The "herb" question goes unanswered. I have no idea why you don't pronounce the "h". It seems amazing to me. In fact, the entire herbal catalogue is riddled with anomolies - "basil", "oregano", etc. Maybe it's an attempt to sound somehow more authentic and worldly. The French would be pleased.
Anyway, I shall catch-up on your blog. Enjoy you homework. Keep me up to date on your England plans too.
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