A Point of Grammer

Feilding Star, Volume VIII, Issue 12, 10 July 1886, Page 4

A Point of Grammer

A. foreign correspondent of the' Academy' rather cruelly' raises .the question } A. ;of fthe^uWi of *.a ? or ,' an'- before names or adjectives beginning-with a conson'ont or a vowel. He appears to be mostjexereised and is Jo whether he ought to say ' a historical* or '. an-' historical.' * Most

English Writer*,' he' »ays, * use the foriri v, *f»fl ,, historical,' and , the grammarians ' allow,' hayi'erea prescribe' it ; but, --as he argues, the 'h-'-in-'hist^.-ical 1 is, not. silent 'and' B^ikfiioirght to saj, if we do not, ' a ; , hijitqrjcal.' So we ought strictly speaking, so wea/ancy do ' most .English Writers,' m 'spite of the correspondent's Riateinent. But no' wonder he feels a little embarrassed. It is to be feared' ■ ■ tfrat -oar grumruatieal habits are Hot very uniform.. He say R'we sometime* say 'an imcangHe;' ' an harmonious vcrstV and so . on.;and the hardimpreaciimeiit cannot be -<i«niei. Equally true- is it that sornet ineß »ay 'an uuaniinous resolutiou,' ' an us-eless waste'; and, strictly speaking, tU« f f t°?i '?' q**ite. correct. J3ut on oc.faMon we ehooste to nssume that *y* is .liiid^rsiood 7 In-fore lite *u'in 'useless,' :aiid w«« therefore say ' a useless.' And ii •is : 'i7nquf.stioiiable..tha-t the Jailer is the i■. ■_, jwrtre-. ■.t*up.h«»ni(»Hs. . mode. , ' A useless' jj«vs niore ; ! tripping ..than *an useleuj!,' ■which requires some effort. Unquestion* *bij, U'O, '■uii.\n»lortt:iiy is smoother than '■'•' a lti»K>rica'l;'^ihe fact beiag'tliat wlnle *a hisiorj' tli*- emph:isis on: the; fir,xt''syHiibte')^6urids 'all/ri«lit, *a Jus— toriral' iwisij-'ihe 'iicceDJ on the second L r v<!!''.iM'lft). 'is a Hitit 1 . j!ii,cor.ious./ ji Erobably, in foinnHjn.ii.HiVerfv d.-iy jiar'auce, ., theaivrwae iu«n and n'ootuu uhvs 'a' or 'an' Arri»)jQ.ii»^ -t/«.* < 'UJ i^*'MJJ« «°d without ri^ 1i riMii-e to giajLunuir. We". speak rabidly jr. »i ar«, ti\i\ J,o_ h^eii-fice the, aspiratje to tl ';' .eX'^ncifs <if ' s],t»ed.". Arid, certainly ''llijil'.li^tlse 'pieaiynij-'sf solutt/m of{ th,er j-«»WViil S; '-'Xf* it- -wU'rVb'tit a matter; fof, scum!,! But l he correspondent of the ' At'3uli*iii"j' T '^>a«i ivtirred ■ rhe "*» ;itei's,i and he timy exj»fct- to liav^ all the grdin- • inßriansindo^jn. iipoß^hiijuvwitli/VaTA crowd, of artfUiuenis.