[Gllug] [OT] speaking French in France

[Doug Winter]

Pip wrote:
> On Tuesday 07 Sep 2004 19:19, Doug Winter wrote:
> 
>>Just to score extra pedantry points (will I win the caravan?), it's not 
>>any word beginning with 'h', it's words beginning with 'h' that come 
>>from the french.  That's why it is "an hotel" but not "an horse".
> 
> Actually, it isn't. It would be if hotel was pronounced in a French style, but 
> not when it's pronounced with an h at the beginning - hotel rather than 
> 'otel. It was just a way of trying to sound sophisticated a couple of 
> centuries ago when French was considered a stylish language, but it went 
> rather wrong.

I heard it on Radio 4, it must be true!  Unfortunately I've just checked 
  and you appear to be correct, at least according to the OED and 
alt.usage.english.  I shall return to my box, never to venture forth again.

doug.

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