Herb (Was Re: Harry and Hairy - The Difference.)

[Carol]

Goddlefrood wrote:
<snip> > what I'd like to know from our Amewrican friends is why on 
earth do you not pronounce the h in herb.
> 
> I've wondered this for the past 16 years and seek enlightenment.

Carol responds:
Because we were taught that it's silent, just like the "k" in "know"
and "knowledge." (I don't pronounce the "h" in "Herbology" for the
same reason.) I did a little online research and came up with a few
other silent "h" words: chiefly, "hour," "honor," "honest," and
"heir." (I *think* the same is true for all these words in British
English. You spell "honor" as "honour," but I think the pronunciation
is the same.)

Most of these "h" words, maybe all of them (I didn't check, sorry),
originally came from French, which, as Fleur will tell you, 'as no "h"
sound.

According to an online article I found about silent "h" in *British*
English, the pronounced "h" in "herb" is only a recent development:

http://www.askoxford.com/worldofwords/wordfrom/aitches/?view=uk

I'm guessing that Americans retained the older pronunciation of "herb"
as "erb," which was current when, say, my Pilgrim ancestor and/or my
Salem witch ancestor arrived in America. (BTW, we *do* pronounce the
"h" in the *name* "Herb" and in its longer form, "Herbert." And, of
course, we pronounce the "h" in "Harry.")

Carol, 'oping that Goddlefrood now feels enlightened :-)