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

[Goddlefrood]

> Goddlefrood earlier:
> > <snip> what I'd like to know from our American 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:
<SNIP>
> 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.

Goddlefrood:

All the words in which the h is not pronounced did come from via 
French from Latin, according to the article linked. 

This all started when I was in Australia 16 years ago and had been 
lured to a training session for a company called Herbal Life. The 
owner of said company was an American who had made the training 
film himself. As soon as I heard the pronunciation of herb by this 
man I left the confines of the theatre.

My ears have cooled since that time and now I have, regretfully, 
become accustomed to the dropped h, while stil pronouncing it 
myself. 

Thanks for your response and the responses of others, I feel a 
good deal better now, let me assure you. :-)

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

Goddlefrood:

Well worth a look by anyone interested.

> Carol:

> 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. 

Goddlefrood:

No doubt. The original colonists apparently retained an accent that 
is not all that far removed from the accent of the time in the Black 
Country (midlands-ish) of England. Or was that the Australians :-?

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

Goddlefrood:

I do and also point out that despite my recent lack of contributions 
to main I do still read the posts. Therefore, you might care to know 
that the eqivalent of "my two cents" would be a small two penn'orth.

Just a small two penn'orth.