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   sci.lang      Natural languages, communication, etc      297,462 messages   

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   Message 295,592 of 297,462   
   Antonio Marques to dieterhansbritz@gmail.com   
   Re: An   
   30 Apr 24 13:58:51   
   
   From: no_email@invalid.invalid   
      
   db  wrote:   
   > On Sun, 28 Apr 2024 12:45:20 +0300, Mikko wrote:   
   >   
   >> On 2024-04-28 09:25:14 +0000, db said:   
   >>   
   >>> There is an old English use of "an" for "if". Where does this come   
   >>> from? I can't think of similar forms in German or Danish or Latin.   
   >>   
   >> It could be English "when". Or it could be the Swedish "om". But perhaps   
   >> it is something else.   
   >   
   > The "om" (also in Danish) comes close and might be   
   > the relative of "an". M and n get confused a bit.   
   > I remember the name Willian used in Brazil.   
      
   But there it's because it's not a consonant.   
      
   I've certainly met this 'an' before, but I have no idea where. I remember   
   thinking at the time that it read naturally, which would indicate a   
   parallel to some other construct in english or other language, but without   
   the actual example it's difficult to say.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)   

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