posted
Unless you want generic aliens or tissue source, which would be Tissuexus. The pronunciation is tricky, but alien vocal organs have no problem with it.
Posts: 1810 | Registered: Jun 2002
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posted
So if a guy pulled up to an intersection in a lexus, then found that the woman next to him was also driving one, would they be a Lexicon?
Posts: 1895 | Registered: Mar 2004
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"He wrote with a unique style." Of course, this would sound better if it were written as: "His style of writing was unique."
It has to do with how the word sounds when deciding whether or not to put "an" or "a" in front of it. It is hard or soft? (There are some exceptions, but few.)
For example. "He wrote an 'H' on his paper."
When you write out the letter phonetically, it is spelled: AITCH (useful scrabble knowledge here). It's starting syllable is soft. Whereas, "unique" has that "Y" sound at the start.
quote:It has to do with how the word sounds when deciding whether or not to put "an" or "a" in front of it. It is hard or soft? (There are some exceptions, but few.)
I've noticed a lot of people always write "an" before words beginning which "h". E.g. "I have a friend who is an historian." Interestingly enough, they never say it that way. Every reference book I've found says this is wrong, although I recall being taught to do it that way at school...
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I believe the difference isn't "hard" versus "soft" but consonant sound versus vowel sound.
Unique is pronounced with a long U, which is pronounced "you" (consonant sound), hence the article "a" instead of "an" before it.
(I can remember trying to decide whether to go to my daughter's elementary teacher and correct her after my daughter came home with a "long vowel sounds" assignment that taught her to include words with the "oo" sound in the "u" list with those that had the "you" sound. While "oo" is a "long" sound--as in food--and there is a "short" "oo" sound--as in foot--"oo" is not the sound the letter "u" makes when it is saying its own name. I didn't go see the teacher because it is probably not that big of a deal, but it still bothered me.) (Did any of that make sense?)
Using "an" before words starting with "h" is, I believe, somewhat archaic. My guess is that the "h" used to not be pronounced as it is now, and so the words started with a vowel sound.
Usage and pronunciation changes over time. Maybe eventually the very name of the letter "u" will become "oo," all long "u" sounds will be pronounced long "oo," and words like "unique" will have the article "an" in front of them. <shrug>
posted
I always thought it was "an" if the word starts with a vowel and "a" if it starts with a consonant. I've always written "an unique" and "a historian". I suppose I really should look it up because these arrangements do sound awkward when spoken. (But people don't always speak gramatically correct.)
Posts: 1473 | Registered: Jul 2004
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posted
Since the term comes from Sanskrit it can't possibly be non-politically-correct. Who could possibly think that anything of Sanskrit origin was politically incorrect?
PS the forum just told me that my password wasn't correct, but I'm pretty sure it isn't of Sanskrit origin.
While I have you, did you see the article in Reader's Digest (September) about Dr. Silly, the children's therapist who uses puppets, among myriad other props? He was a puppeteer for 20 years who studied at the Institut International de la Marionette and the Institut Fur Therapeutisches Puppenspiels.
Don'tcha love that? Puppenspiels!
Anyway, thought you'd be interested.
(How in the world do you spell 'don'tcha?' Doncha...dontcha...don'tcha...??? And, yes, I know it's not really a word, but I was trying hard to shake Truss.)
[This message has been edited by Kolona (edited August 24, 2004).]
posted
I did not see that article, but the Institute is really hard to get into and very highly regarded. I feel like I ought to know who the guy is.
Now, on the more serious question. If we consider that apostrophes are used to indicate missing letters, then I think you could get away with don'cha. However, I had no trouble understanding don'tcha, and it might represent the explosive qualities of the second syllable better.
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