why pronounce "erb" instead of "herb"
Joseph Whitaker
They don't say "ot dog" or "(h)igh in the (h)eaven"
The British do not have this problem by the way.
Americans I ask just deny this strange phenomenon.
Who can solve this mistery ?
Joseph
Robert Lieblich
>
> I really wonder why Americans pronounce the word Herb without the "h".
> They don't say "ot dog" or "(h)igh in the (h)eaven"
They also don't say "hower" for "hour" or "honnest" for "honest." Truly
bizarre, them Amurricans.
>
> The British do not have this problem by the way.
How do they have it, then?
>
> Americans I ask just deny this strange phenomenon.
>
You've been asking the wrong Americans.
> Who can solve this mistery ?
>
> Joseph
Sorry, wrong answer.
Rob L.
Joseph Whitaker
Robert Lieblich wrote in message <37D643...@erols.com>...
>Joseph Whitaker wrote:
>>
>> I really wonder why Americans pronounce the word Herb without the "h".
>> They don't say "ot dog" or "(h)igh in the (h)eaven"
>
>They also don't say "hower" for "hour" or "honnest" for "honest." Truly
>bizarre, them Amurricans.
The "h" in the abovementioned words are so called soft-h's, they are hardly
audible but are pronounced. With other words, "hour" is supposed to sound
different from "our".
No the case with herb.
>> The British do not have this problem by the way.
>
>How do they have it, then?
Strong, with sugar en milk.
??
>>
>> Americans I ask just deny this strange phenomenon.
>>
>You've been asking the wrong Americans.
There are no wrong Americans.
>
>> Who can solve this mistery ?
>>
>> Joseph
>
>Sorry, wrong answer.
That's right, you win the Jackpot.
>
>Rob L.
Opinicus
> >They also don't say "hower" for "hour" or "honnest" for "honest." Truly
> >bizarre, them Amurricans.
> The "h" in the abovementioned words are so called soft-h's, they are hardly
> audible but are pronounced.
"But soft, what "H" through yonder pronunciation breaks?"
> With other words, "hour" is supposed to sound different from "our".
Huh? <or> U?
> No the case with herb.
"Not"
In addition to the examples Bob Lieblich cited I might also add:
"on 'er" vs "honor".
Bob B
Foça, Turkey
---
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John Flynn
> Joseph Whitaker <p...@pak.net> wrote in message news:7r5ifq$6q4$1...@zonnetje.nl.uu.net...
>
> > >They also don't say "hower" for "hour" or "honnest" for "honest." Truly
> > >bizarre, them Amurricans.
> > The "h" in the abovementioned words are so called soft-h's, they are hardly
> > audible but are pronounced.
> "But soft, what "H" through yonder pronunciation breaks?"
>
> > With other words, "hour" is supposed to sound different from "our".
> Huh? <or> U?
>
> > No the case with herb.
> "Not"
>
> In addition to the examples Bob Lieblich cited I might also add:
>
> "on 'er" vs "honor".
>
> Bob B
Being in England and currently not having access to a genuine
American I'm interested in how such a person would say the words
"herbivorous", "herbaceous", and other examples with "herb" as the
root (what a nice pun, by the way). Do they get the dropping-the-h
treatment too?
johnF
Robert Lieblich
<snip>
> Being in England and currently not having access to a genuine
> American I'm interested in how such a person would say the words
> "herbivorous", "herbaceous", and other examples with "herb" as the
> root (what a nice pun, by the way). Do they get the dropping-the-h
> treatment too?
I sound the "h" in those and other words of which "herb" is the root,
and I don't recall ever hearing someone say any such word without
sounding it. YMMV.
Hey, who said English - especially American English -- had to make
sense?
Bob Lieblich
pinch
Interestingly, the "H" is not dropped when Herb is a proper name:
Herb Tarlik
Peaches and Herb
> Bob Lieblich
baldycotton
>American I'm interested in how such a person would say the words
>"herbivorous", "herbaceous", and other examples with "herb" as the
>root (what a nice pun, by the way). Do they get the dropping-the-h
>treatment too?
W/o h.
kevin...@my-deja.com
"Joseph Whitaker" <p...@pak.net> wrote:
> I really wonder why Americans pronounce the word Herb without the "h".
> They don't say "ot dog" or "(h)igh in the (h)eaven"
>
>
>
As the American 'erb pronunciation first came to widespread notice in
Britain in pretentious television cookery programmes, I'd imagined it
was another piece of pretentiousness: American foodies trying to sound
French (and only getting the "b" right!).
Others' contributions here and elsewhere have now convinced me
that 'erb is, in fact, everyday normal American, so I'm no closer to
solving the mystery, sorry.
Kevin Flynn.
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Share what you know. Learn what you don't.
shawnsp...@gmail.com
Anton Shepelev
> Its goes back to French and Latin. Why do British people not
> pronounce the "h" in Hot dog or Heaven, but do in Herb. Say it in
> your head like the British. Yep. I am right aren't I, lol.
1. Eat a(n) hot dog when your head's in a fog.
2. What is the verb when you're smoking a(n) herb?
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Peter Duncanson [BrE]
>Its goes back to French and Latin. Why do British people not pronounce the "h" in Hot dog or Heaven, but do in Herb. Say it in your head like the British. Yep. I am right aren't I, lol.
know whether those who are h-droppers drop the h in Herb. Some may do.
No one sounds the "h"s in “honour,” “honest,” and “hour.”
--
Peter Duncanson, UK
(in alt.english.usage)
occam
> Its goes back to French and Latin. Why do British people not pronounce the "h" in Hot dog or Heaven, but do in Herb. Say it in your head like the British. Yep. I am right aren't I, lol.
>
also say to 'Erb' when referring to Herb(ert)s?