On 12/22/14 05:02, [email protected] wrote:
On Mon, 22 Dec 2014 08:53:04 +0000 Jason McIntyre <[email protected]> wrote:
On Mon, Dec 22, 2014 at 03:29:13AM -0500, [email protected] wrote:
From: Jason McIntyre <[email protected]>
Date: Thu, 18 Dec 2014 14:26:09 -0700 (MST)
To: [email protected]
Subject: CVS: cvs.openbsd.org: src
CVSROOT: /cvs
Module name: src
Changes by: [email protected] 2014/12/18 14:26:09
Modified files:
usr.sbin/relayd: relayd.conf.5
Log message:
an hex -> a hex;
as far as i am aware, 'an hex' is actually correct english. 'h' is a special
case for a consonant. i am not quite sure why, perhaps some more ancient
pronunciation of 'a', but it is commonly used eg 'an historial event'.
it is a somewhat more obscure nuance in the language, so i am actually
slightly surprised someone got it right the first time.
it is correct only if you want to sound like a pillock. modern english
does not routinely use "an" before words beginning "h".
it depends on the sound. you could have "an h-bomb", but not "an house".
"an historical event"...well some folks would insist that reads better.
of course, you *can* do it for comic effect, but it's best not to just
drop "an" because the noun starts with an "h".
some folks do drop their "aitches", so they might say "an ex". that
would be ok, but confusing.
i'm sure if you scout online you'll find some better details (as well as
some conflicting ones ;)
jmc
seems like this particular case may be in a grey area.
a quick check of wikipedia (English_articles):
Some speakers and writers use an before a word beginning with the sound /h/ in
an unstressed syllable: an historical novel, an hotel.^[12] However, where the
"h" is clearly pronounced, this usage is now less common, and "a" is preferred.
^[11]
11. ^ ^a ^b How to Use Articles (a/an/the) ? The OWL at Purdue
12. ^ Peters, Pam (2004). "a or an". The Cambridge Guide to English Usage.
Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press. p. 1. ISBN 0-521-62181-X.
so there is a conflict right there. by and large though i tend to give more
credit to something from Cambridge University Press.
'an hex' sounds to me (literally) like it fits the words where this is more
common, but it's hard to say, since it is based on how the individual word
is pronounced, and so is relative to the accent, and thus there may not be a
correct usage for some words across all english accents...
it may also depend on how one pronounces 'a' too. 'an hex' sounds better than
'uh hex' (a common pronunciation of 'a'), but long 'a' sounds better than 'an'.
so upon some reflection, i don't think there is a correct answer for this case.
however, even if it is 'less common', it may be still be appropriate for the
written word/documentation. whoever wrote that man page originally perhaps
thought so. either way. natural languages aren't really mathematical.
This isn't grey.
"A hex" <something>, not "an hex". None of my teachers who stressed
good writing would have let that pass.
--STeve Andre'
