THE LETTER "A ITCH."
[TO THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECT/T02.“1
Sin,—Can any of your readers tell me when the practice origi- nated (and whether it is a correct one) of referring to the letter " aiteh" when writing of the eighth letter of the alphabet ? One does not write, for instance: " The correct way of spelling enemy is with one ' em,'" or "Paris is not spelt with two ' asses.'" One writes: " The correct way of spelling enemy is with one 'm'" and "Paris is not spelt with two s's.'" I have often thought of asking this question, as in numbers of hooks recently I hare seen the letter "It" referred to as " aiteh." I have now made myself bold enough to write to you on the subject, having just finished perusing en article in the 'Spectator of May 19th in which (p. 559) Tommy Atkins is referred to as an "hitch-dropping person." Did the writer mean " h-dropping," and if so, why not have written: it
in that way I—I am, Sir, Re:, 1V. PAGE Ozer. :Seth% Wooloomin, Queensland. July 11th.
[It is curious that "aitch " alone should have the dignity of a name. The word, as a reference to the Oxford Dictionary will show, is of great antiquity, going back through the Middle English " ache " to the Old French "ache," presumably derived from a Late Latin " arches," "ahha," or "a.," which suggests the sound.' Minsheu in his Spanish grammar of 16'43 says: "This letter is called in the Spanish as in the English' Ache'"—which was then pronounced " nitch."—Eo. Spectator.]
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