"A historic" vs. "an historic"

[Bbj1919]

My theory on the use of "an" before "historic" is that it likely was born of cockney English, wherein the consonant "h" is consistently dropped. What say you?

[Barb_D]

I'd say it's highly regionalized -- and even within regions, you'll find people saying it both ways. I consistently write "an historic" and my editor consistenly removes the "n." (I have never spoken "Cockney English" except when doing bad Monty Python imitations.)

[Bbj1919]

An English grammar professor of mine used to say that usage of "an historic" was itself historic -- meaning "archaic."

More recently, a colleague of mine instructed his students to "make an harmonic" analysis of a musical composition. I thought this was quite a stretch and wondered where we might go from here -- "an horse," "an helicopter," or "an hell of a mess?"

[Torsten]

Hi,

You might want to take a look at a historic vs. an historic.

TOEIC listening, photographs: A building site at dawn

[MrPedantic]

I wouldn't call it a Cockney phenomenon; "an" before a sounded "h" is frequently found in literary texts until the 18th century. As has been noted, some speakers still retain it before an unstressed sounded "h".

MrP

[Bbj1919]

If the practice disappeared from literary texts after the turn of the 18th century, then my old prof must have been correct in proclaiming it "historic." For me, I think I'll just take the bull by the horns and switch to German when the occasion arises, saying simply, "eine historich."

[MrPedantic]

Sorry, BB, I should clarify: you can find examples of "an" before a stressed syllable beginning with a sounded "h" in literary texts into the 18th century; after that, "an" tends to precede only unstressed sounded-h-syllables.

(In this particular case, my impression from various threads on the subject in various forums is that "an historical" is more likely to throw a 404 in BrE ears.)

MrP

[Nessie]

[Yankee]

Hi Nessie

Like Barb, I also say "an historic". I also agree with everything that MM, MrP and Barb have written. Unlike bbj, however, I am not planning to switch to German in order to avoid any confusion. :lol:
Have a look here:
http://www.englishforums.com/English/HistoricHistoric/mnxc/post.htm
And here:
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/esl/esliart.html
.
_________________
"Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power." ~ Abraham Lincoln

[MrPedantic]

[Nessie]

Hi MrP,

[MrPedantic]

Hello Nessie,

Yes, you can say "an hotel" or "an historical" in formal/written BrE; not many people do so, but it is a valid alternative.

Sorry about the confusion!

Best wishes,

MrP

[Bbj1919]

Just when I thought I understood when and where an before h was appropriate, I heard an educated lady from England named Hazel Hardy introduce herself as 'azel 'ardy. Additionally, a gentleman from the mother country told me he had recently suffered an heart attack.I suppose frequency of usage really does determine correctness.