by firehazard Wed Jun 30, 2010 6:53 am
cagliostro wrote:Is that an euphemism?
Why does the use of "an" sound odd there? Am I screwing up my grammar again?
It's not exactly a grammar problem, but yes, "an euphemism" definitely sounds wrong. In simple terms it's because, of course, although "euphemism" starts with a vowel, which would normally predict an "an" to precede it, because it's pronounced "yoo-phemism" (hey, phonetics seems to be the new Medusan craze...) the "n" on the end of the indefinite article is superfluous. As it would be in, say, "an European", or "an year", or "an you better stop rambling now, firehazard".
[quote="cagliostro"]Is that an euphemism?
Why does the use of "an" sound odd there? Am I screwing up my grammar again?[/quote]
It's not exactly a grammar problem, but yes, "an euphemism" definitely sounds wrong. In simple terms it's because, of course, although "euphemism" starts with a vowel, which would normally predict an "an" to precede it, because it's pronounced "yoo-phemism" (hey, phonetics seems to be the new Medusan craze...) the "n" on the end of the indefinite article is superfluous. As it would be in, say, "an European", or "an year", or "an you better stop rambling now, firehazard".