Chapter II: Of the Articles

The Articles in English are two, _a_ and _the_; _a_ becomes _an_ before a vowel, and before an _h_ which is not sounded: as, _an_ exquisite, _an_ hour-glass. But if the _h_ be pronounced, the _a_ only is used: as, _a_ homicide, _a_ homœopathist, _a_ hum.

This rule is reversed in what is termed the Cockney dialect: as, _a_ inspector, _a_ officer, _a_ object, _a_ omnibus, _a_ individual, _a_ alderman, _a_ honour, _an_ horse, or rather, a _norse_, _an_ hound, _an_ hunter, &c.

It is usual in the same dialect, when the article _an_ should, in strict propriety, precede a word, to omit the letter _n_, and further, for the sake of euphony and elegance, to place the aspirate _h_ before the word; as, a _h_egg, a _h_accident, a _h_adverb, a _h_ox. But sometimes, when a word begins with an _h_, and has the article _a_ before it, the aspirate is omitted, the letter _a_ remaining unchanged: as, a ’ogg, a ’edge, a ’emisphere, a ’ouse.

The slight liberties which it is the privilege of the people to take with the article and aspirate become always most evident in the expression of excited feeling, when the stress which is laid upon certain words is heightened by the peculiarity of the pronunciation: as, “You _h_ignorant _h_upstart! you _h_illiterate ’og! ’ow dare you to _h_offer such a _h_insult to my _h_understanding?--You are a _h_object of contempt, you _h_are, and a _h_insolent _w_agobond! your mother was nothing but a _h_apple-woman, and your father was an ’uckster!”

_Note._--In the above example, the ordinary rules of language relative to the article and aspirate (to say nothing of the maxims of politeness) are completely set at nought; but it must be remembered, that in common discourse the modification of the article, and the omission or use of the aspirate, are determined by the Cockneys according to the ease with which particular words are pronounced; as, “Though _h_impudent, he warn’t as _i_mpudent as Bill wur.” Here the word _impudent_, following a vowel-sound, is most easily pronounced as _h_impudent, while the same word, coming after a consonant, even in the same sentence, is uttered with greater facility in the usual way.

_A_ or _an_ is called the indefinite article, because it is used, in a vague sense, to point out some one thing belonging to a certain kind, but in other respects indeterminate; as,

“_A_ horse, _a_ horse, my kingdom for _a_ horse!”

So say grammarians. Eating-house keepers tell a different story. A cheese, in common discourse, means an object of a certain shape, size, weight, and so on, entire and perfect; so that to call half a cheese a cheese, would constitute a flaw in an indictment against a thief who had stolen one. But a waiter will term a fraction, or a modicum of cheese, _a_ cheese; a plate-full of pudding, _a_ pudding; and _a_ stick of celery, a celery, or rather, a _salary_. Nay, he will even apply the article _a_ to a word which does not stand for an individual object at all; as _a_ bread, _a_ butter, _a_ bacon. Here we are reminded of the famous exclamation of one of these gentry:--“Master! master! there’s two teas and a brandy-and-water just hopped over the palings!”

_The_ is termed the definite article, inasmuch as it denotes what particular thing or things are meant; as,

“_The_ miller he stole corn,
_The_ weaver he stole yarn,
And _the_ little tailòr he stole broad-cloth
To keep _the_ three rogues warm.”

A substantive to which no article is prefixed is taken in a general sense; as, “Apple sauce is proper for goose;” that is, for all geese.

A few additional remarks may advantageously be made with respect to the articles. The mere substitution of the definite for the indefinite article is capable of changing entirely the meaning of a sentence. “That is _a_ ticket” is the assertion of a certain fact; but “That is _the_ ticket!” means something which is quite different.

The article is not prefixed to a proper name; as, Stubbs, Wiggins, Chubb, or Hobson, except for the sake of distinguishing a particular family, or description of persons; as, He is _a_ Burke; that is, one of the Burkes, or _a_ person resembling Burke. The article is sometimes also prefixed to a proper name, to point out some distinguished individual; as, _The_ Burke, or the great politician, or the resurrectionist, Burke.

Who is _the_ Smith?

The indefinite article is joined to substantives in the singular number only. We have heard people say, however, “He keeps _a_ wine-vaults;” or, to quote more correctly--waltz. The definite article may be joined to plurals also.

The definite article is frequently used with adverbs in the comparative and superlative degree: as, “_The_ longer I live, _the_ broader I grow;” or, as we have all heard the showman say, “This here, gentlemen and ladies, is the vonderful heagle of the sun; _the_ ’otterer it grows, _the_ higherer he flies!”

CHAPTER III.