Re: "An Herby" vs. "A Herby"

**Pat Meadows p*@meadows.pair.com**

On Tue, 14 Feb 2006 08:47:25 -0500, you wrote:

>This has nothing to do with Volkswagens or Valentine's Day. I want to know who removed the H from spoken words like "herb" and "historic". 

Certainly not the British.  My husband - from the Liverpool
area - pronounces the 'h' in both those words.  I (American)
say 'erb' but 'historic'.  

Generally, when the American usage differs from the British
usage, the American usage is the older, more conservative.
(I've looked differences like this up quite a few times, but
not 'herb' specifically.)  The Brits seem to change their
usages faster than we do; maybe because we're more isolated,
don't interact with the rest of the world as much, and we're
certainly a larger country (larger population).

Pat

-- northern Pennsylvania
"Rats and roaches live by competition under the laws of
supply and demand. It is the privilege of human beings to
live under the laws of justice and mercy." - Wendell Berry 
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