History of the English Language — «The articles "a" and "an"» — [MP3/Podcast]
Click here or reload the Webpage.
En esta página Web se utilizan pequeños archivos de texto de información, encriptados ['cookies'], archivos propios y de terceros para realizar el análisis de la navegación de los usuarios: mejorar su experiencia cada vez que usted visite este sitio Web, para ofrecer funciones de medios sociales o para mostrar a los usuarios publicidad relacionada con sus preferencias. Mediante el uso de 'cookies' no se identifica personalmente a los usuarios, únicamente a sus computadoras.
Se considerará que usted acepta su uso si continúa navegando. Usted podrá deshabilitarlas accediendo a la configuración de su navegador. Puede obtener más información aquí, / o aquí / y aquí.
This website uses profiling cookies, i.e. strings of text saved by a browser on the user's device, possibly also those of third parties. This website can access those files and use them to remember the user's data, such as their chosen settings (screen view, interface language, etc.), in a few words, to ensure you get the best experience on this WebPage. Information about your use of this site is shared with Google. If you want to know more or refuse consent click here. By closing this window the users confirm that they have read the information on cookie usage. Continuing browsing you consent to the use of all cookies.
Denne nettsida benytter informasjonskapsler (cookies). Målet er å videreutvikle og forbedre nettsida. Ved å bruke denne nettsida samtykker du i at vi kan etterlate informasjonskapsler i din nettleser. De fleste moderne nettlesere (Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, Opera, etc.) er innstilt på å akseptere informasjonskapsler automatisk. Les mer her / eller hos Nkom.no
The modern articles a/an/the all emerged in early Middle English. In fact, the original indefinite article was simply "an." The 'n' was later dropped, and "an" was shortened to "a" before consonants. I should also note that "my" was originally "min" and "your" was originally "thine." So those possessive pronouns also lost their 'n' and they became "my" and "thy." That happened at the same time that "an" lost its 'n' and became "a". It appears that all of these influences converged to make the pronunciation of the initial 'n' sound highly variable in certain Middle English words. That might help to explain why some of these changes occurred.
ResponderEliminarMy favorite quote about English, from James Nicoll: "The problem with defending the purity of the English language is that English is about as pure as a cribhouse whore. We don't just borrow words; on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary."
ResponderEliminar