Re: USAGE: indefinite "a" before vowel-initial words

Thomas R. Wier scripsit:

> But I've heard others using
> "a" sometimes prevocalically (and without pausing), and have
> noticed myself using it.
The use of /@/ and /D@/ as invariant articles is a marker for
AAVE, a language variety that no American can avoid being affected
by to some degree.  One day I was explaining the /D@/ ~ /Di/ variation
to a group of people (it's much less known that /@/ ~ /@n/, not being
reflected in the orthography) and promptly violated the constraint
myself in the course of the explanation!  Someone called me on it,
leaving me to meditate on the difference between speaking with a view
to speech and speaking with a view to content, as William Safire puts it.

--
John Cowan  www.ccil.org/~cowan  www.reutershealth.com  jcowan@reutershealth.com
In might the Feanorians / that swore the unforgotten oath
brought war into Arvernien / with burning and with broken troth.
and Elwing from her fastness dim / then cast her in the waters wide,
but like a mew was swiftly borne, / uplifted o'er the roaring tide.
        --the Earendillinwe

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