Dioclese wrote:
"Frederick Williams" wrote in message
...
Is tea a herb? Just that, with apologies if it's not exactly OT. Oh,
there is one more thing: is 'herb' pronounced erb?

--
But you see, I can believe a thing without understanding it.
It's all a matter of training.
--Lord Peter Wimsey in Dorothy L Sayers' _Have His Carcase_

I say "herb" with the "h" silent to distinguish when talking to, or in
hearing distance of Herb (Herbert). I'm definitely not French. I
believe I learned the pronunciation in a Catholic elementary school.
Latin, not French, was the closest to a second language I had at the
time. The predominant nationality of teachers and church staff was
Irish. Was definitely not part of any conversations I had in my
early years.

The Irish - Catholic connection is interesting. As a child I met numerous
children brought up as Catholics who refered to the letter "h" as haitch but
those who were brought up protestants said aitch. I later learned that this
is not a peculiarity of religion at all (in my region at least) but that it
came from many of the teachers in the Catholic private education system
being of Irish origin whereas the non-catholics mostly went to public
schools where the teachers were not Irish. I don't recall them saying 'erb
though but we didn't discuss herbs much.

In the way of kids the cafliks yelled insults (and sometimes rocks) at the
prodes over the fence and vic-versa. On one memorable occasion some of the
older boys were lined up for a scuffle and each declared "I'm Catholic" or
"I'm Church of England" as the case might be. The battle lines were drawn
and they turned to me and I said quaking "I'm Kindergarten" and so was
excused the ensuing melee.

David