A POINT OF GRAMMAR.

Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 69, 24 March 1886, Page 2 (Supplement)

A POINT OF GRAMMAR.

A foreign correspondent of the " Academy " rather cruelly raises the question of the use of " a " or "an " before names or adjectives beginning with a consonant or a vowel. He appears to be most exercised as to whether he ought to say "a historical" or "an historical." " Most English writers," he says, " use the form ' an historical,' and the grammarians allow — nay, even prescribe it" ; but as he argues, the "h" in " historical " is not silent, and so we ought to say, if wo do not, "a historical." So we ought, strictly speaking, and so, we fancy, do " most English writers," in spite of the correspondent's statement But no wonder he feels a little enibarrased. It is to be feared that our grammatical habits are not very uniform. He says we sometimes say "an harangue," "an harmonium verse," and so on, and the hard impeachment cannot be denied. Equally true is it that we sometimes say "an unanimous resolution," "an useless waste"; and strictly speaking, that, too, is quite correct. But on occasion we choose to assume that "y" is understood before the " v " in '* useless," and we therefore say "a useless." And it is unquestionable that the latter is the more euphonious mode. "A useless" goes more trippingly than "an useless," which requires some effort. Unquestionably, too, "an historical" is smoother than " a historical," the fact being that while " a history " (with the emphasis on the first syllable) sounds all right, "a historical," (with an accent on the second syllable) is a little laborious. Probably, in every-day parlance, the average man and woman uses " a " or, " an " according to euphony, and without reference to grammar. We speak rapidly, and are apt to sacrifice the aspirate to the exigencies of speed. And, certainly, that is the pleasantest solution of the problem. If it were but a matter of sound ! But the correspounent of the " Academy " has stirred the waters, and he may expect to have all tho grammarians " down upon" him with a crowd of arguments.