Copy-editor’s Dilemma
Proofreader’s Poser
An and A are indefinite articles.
An precedes a word beginning with a vowel sound. An apple, an orange, an editor, an editorial course.
A precedes a word beginning with a consonant sound. A proofreading course, a proofreader, a seminar, a freelancer, a copy-editor.
Historical Oddities
In estate agents’ particulars I often see An Historic Property. Usually the agent will be dealing with top-end properties and will think that this is correct usage. Well, it would be correct if we pronounced historic as istoric, as was the case before WW2. An old-fashioned teacher of advanced years probably passed this on down the generations. My grandmother who was born in 1889 would certainly have used an before historic and before hotel. An hotel. Hardly anyone now says otel: the h is pronounced. So a hotel is correct. An hotel is archaic.
If I were editing a book of memoirs by an old man and he used the archaic forms I certainly wouldn’t change them. Or if an author wanted to give an old-world charm to a piece that’s fine.
But in normal contemporary writing they should be avoided.
What about the posh estate agents? Since most clients, whether buyers or sellers, will think it’s either a misprint or faux upper-class they would be advised to be contemporary. The istoric pile will after all have underfloor heating, Italian ceramics and a kitchen so white that no one can find the microwave. And there won’t be an ancient grandee in the library drinking port and dropping ‘aitches’ on Persian rugs. Alas!
