January 02, 2005

Which is proper grammar: *a* XML node-set or *an* XML node-set

This is something that I have struggled with and I am hoping that one of you out there (Wendell? :D ;)) can help shed some light. Given the technical spelling of extensible markup language but the acronymic representation XML which do I use as the determination as to whether I say *a* XML node-set or *an* XML node-set? If I understand correctly (even though I speak English natively I think we can all agree there's nothing proper about my grammatical usage of it :)) the decisive line is to use *a* when followed by a word starting with a consonant (as in "a bicycle") and *an* when followed by a word starting with a vowel (as in "an apple").

Looking further according to Dictionary.com:

[Middle English, variant of an, an. See an1.]

Usage Note: In writing, the form a is used before a word beginning with a consonant sound, regardless of its spelling (a frog, a university). The form an is used before a word beginning with a vowel sound (an orange, an hour). ·An was once a common variant before words beginning with h in which the first syllable was unstressed; thus 18th-century authors wrote either a historical or an historical but a history, not an history. This usage made sense in that people often did not pronounce the initial h in words such as historical and heroic, but by the late 19th century educated speakers usually pronounced initial h, and the practice of writing an before such words began to die out. Nowadays it survives primarily before the word historical. One may also come across it in the phrases an hysterectomy or an hereditary trait. These usages are acceptable in formal writing.

If I focus on "The form an is used before a word beginning with a vowel sound (an orange, an hour)." then it seems I can answer my own question by stating that *an* XML node-set would be proper (and as such my past interpretation is incorrect.) Still, it's probably best I don't rely on my own interpretation of the English language or definitions of its proper usage thereof in a majority of situations so if someone can help shed further light onto this for me I would very much appreciate it.

Cheers!