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From: gkrem@netcom.com (Eric Blair)
Subject: Re: How language evolves-- "emails"
Message-ID: <gkremDAJLH6.Jvv@netcom.com>
Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 261-4700 guest)
References: <3s704g$dbe@Mercury.mcs.com> <3s7vfd$2mr@hecate.umd.edu>
Date: Wed, 21 Jun 1995 21:39:05 GMT
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Xref: glinda.oz.cs.cmu.edu sci.lang:40571 comp.ai.nat-lang:3496

ram@mbisgi.umd.edu (Ram Samudrala) writes:

>Jorn Barger (jorn@MCS.COM) wrote:

>>"I sent her an email."  Sounds fine... suprisingly.

>Not to me.  I'd never use that.  I usually write "I sent her an e-mail
>message", OR "I sent her e-mail".  I never use "e-mails".  I presume
>the singular or plural nature can be deduced from context.  People
>don't say (when referring to snail-mail) "I sent him a mail". They say
>"I sent him mail", or "I sent him a letter by mail." 

Just to interject, does anyone really send personal mail by snail mail 
anymore?  Ever since I've started college and even out of college, I've 
used email to communicate with friends and family.  Back to the topic at 
hand, though.  I tend to  say that I have either "sent an email"  or just 
simply "sent mail."  I'm not quite sure why email deserves the "an" but 
I'm positive I've never said that I have sent "a mail."  

<stuff deleted>
>Sometimes, based on the context, even the "e-" is not necessary.
 
I can definitely agree with this.  In the office or even with friends, 
they know that I simply do not use snail mail, I use email.


				Eric
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