I’ll admit that I like watching Erin Burnett on CNN, and I’ll also admit that her appearance might have something to do with it. However, yesterday she proved that sometimes brains take a back seat to pretty.
She was reviewing a clip of Newt Gingrich complaining about “Obamacare” and voicing his opinion that the Supreme Court should throw it out, and he used the phrase “…a historic…” When they cut back to Burnett, she commented with something like, “A historic? Really, Newt? Are you sure you didn’t mean an historic?”
Aww, poor Erin. Actually, poor most people. Too many times has former President Bush Jr. used that phrase, and I’d cringe each time. Too many times have most people said it that way, and more cringing for me. People likely use “an historic” and think something like “ha ha, I know how to speek reeel goodly!” Yeah, but no. The correct form of that phrase is exactly as Gingrich said it – “a historic” – and I would love to know how the wrong trend started.
First, let me add something that a few commenters have caused me to realize. I’ve been working with language over 25 years both in and out of the classroom, and I’ve had far more extensive training than probably 99% of the population. Oh crap. Now I’m a 1%-er. Anyway, this isn’t an issue I expect most people to know, but I do expect better from people whose job it is to speak on television to a national and international audience. Further, if you (Erin) are going to correct a presidential candidate (Newt), a man (still Newt) with more years in education than you (over to Erin) have been alive, then you (one more Erin) better be certain you (oops) are absolutely correct.
When deciding between “a” and “an,” the choice is based on the very next sound, not letter. Sound. If the next sound is a vowel, then you use “an.” If the next sound is a consonant, then you go with “a.” Something like this:
A road not taken. (r) = consonant
An avenue not taken. (a) = vowel
Those are simple examples, but what about letters or sounds that aren’t clearly a vowel or consonant? And what the hell decides which it is? A, E, I, O, U? Sometimes Y? Why Y?
The key to a consonant is “contact.” A consonant is a sound that involves contact with teeth, tongue, lips, palate, in any combination possible. Good luck getting your teeth to touch your palate. Conversely, a vowel is made without contact, just pushing out air and reshaping your mouth but without anything touching anything else. Like the rest of language, there are exceptions. For example, the reason it is sometimes Y is because sometimes there is contact, and sometimes there is not.
“Yesterday” The Y involves curling the tongue to the sides to touch your teeth. Consonant.
“bicYcle” The Y is really just a short “i” sound, as in “hit” or “bit.” Vowel, no contact.
By rights, we should also say “sometimes E” is a consonant. When we pronounce “teeth,” we have to curl the tongue the same way and make the same contact as in “Yesterday,” but that’s a slightly different topic. The same is for “H,” sometimes a consonant. So let’s get back to “historic.”
To correctly make the H sound at the beginning of “historic,” we have to bring the far rear sides of the tongue up to the back teeth.
Do we say, “He is aN hungry boy”?
Or do we say, “He is A hungry boy”?
Do we say, “First period I have A history class”?
Or do we say, “First period I have aN history class”?
There will be a day when I’m old – well, older - and I’ll not longer care about such things. Then someone who is tired of me, will say, “What? No more language complaints? This is truly aN historic day.”
very nice
thank you sir.
There are so many interesting trappings in the English language and now that we have more and more broadcasters from the UK and Australia on our networks our usage will certainly become less clearly homogeneous. The H is silent on Historic in the UK and their broadcasters most certainly use an rather than a. This is not an excuse for our dim-witted anchor who should know better certainly; however, as English is the most ever evolving language on the planet I would not be surprised by any rules that are augmented in the coming years.
Yeah, maybe I was harsh, but you should never correct anyone on television unless you are absolutely sure.
Now that I agree with completely. I just started reading a great book my parents gave me (inspired by your posts) called “The Glamour of Grammar”. So far I am thrilled and will let you know how it goes.
I’ll look it up. Thanks.
I’m quite liking your frequent language lessons; they’ve become much like the grammatical version of Dictionary.com’s “Word of the Day”.
Perhaps a little grace for Ms. Burnett is merited. Now . . . I’m not all that familiar with Erin — or CNN for that matter — but her appearance as a guest-speaker would suggest some sort of higher education attained; possibly degrees in both English and Journalism, but who knows? I take her to be somewhere near my age, late twenties/early thirties, and truthfully, the a vs. an lesson is not one I can ever remember learning. Only many years down the road, as I began to pursue a career in writing, did I school myself in such pedantry.
You are right that it is not a simple thing to figure out. However I expect more from someone who works by speaking on TV. And she should not correct a presidential candidate unless she is certain.
That is a point.
Dear Cara, As an English major, I first learned “a or an” in my elementory schooling – maybe just a luxury. The terms are although definite and universally ultimate although not today taught!
Thank you for touching on a minor pet peeve of mine. By the way… this is my kind of political commentary
My kind is your kind. Thanks for noticing.
Hey, you interrupted the growling dog. Now, I am several episodes behind. I love these lessons. I know how teeth-grinding it is to listen to the George Bushes of the world powers, but Erin should not attempt to correct even if she were correct. Is that correct? I find myself writing the most atrocious sentences.
I have meant to ask you. Is this Gravatar really you? No young man is that handsome and mysterious. I have decided. The photograph most definitely came in the new wallet you bought. Right?
Now, get on with that damn growling dog before I have a stroke. I want to know what happens in the end. I don’t usually care, but you’ve hooked me. And that ain’t easy to do.
The gravatar is a young Bruce Springsteen but I’ll pretend it’s me. And yes, that was correct.
Glad to have hooked you.
I knew I recognized The Boss! Does this give me license to use an elderly Katherine Hepburn for my own?
of course. but i’d go with rita hayworth. well, either way, can’t lose!
Naw, I see myself more as a Katie kind of woman.
Rita is too mysterious and lovely. Not me.
each excels in their own category.
I say “an (h)istoric”, so I write “an historic”. Like “an hotel”, it is because, although of Latin origine, it came to us through French, where the “h” is silent. For those who pronounce the “h”, the use of “a historic” seems obvious. To me, it sounds awkward because it doesn’t flow. I’ve heard a lot of people saying “a hotel”, too. That also sounds awkward to me. I suppose that it is all a question which school you attended – or in which country, or even family, you were raised.
That said, it does not seem to be very polite for television commentators to mock other people’s education or origins.
i wonder if the “an historic” was born from laziness and not pronouncing the H when it should have been pronounced. if i were talking about a building that is historic, and i wanted to use “the” instead, how might you pronounce the H then? would you say “the ‘istoric building”? or would you pronounce the H?
one thing for sure, however we say it now, any of us, has been greatly influenced by those before us. it’s not usually a measure of any of us but a measure of previous generations.
I had to test that one and I would not pronounce the “h” even when using “the”. On the other hand, I always use the “h” when saying History – which is rather weird of me when you think about it. Possibly because it comes directly from the Latin “historia”. Strange, very strange.
it might have to do with the syllable that gets the stress. HISTory. hisTORical.
Could be. Let’s go with that. It makes me sound less weird.
me too.
Erin’s picture is a contradiction to Newt’s pic.
no doubt.
Either you are right or wrong there is only a correct answer to the English language. Erin is correct and every time I see aomething like this, I scream! You can disagree with opinion, but you cannot accept bad form!
did you mean to say erin is INcorrect?
Why do not most people know correct English form? Are our schools not teaching it or can they not get to such technical aspects. Correcting our leaders and advantaged guests and paid pundants is not a priveledge but a duty! How else will our children learn? I disagree with Erin’s observance sometimes. but not her grammar or education! That is why we do not move forward as a country!