Why does everyone say "a whole nother" instead of "an whole other"?

Question

"Nother" is not a word but maybe it should be.

Answer 1

People are correct that you would not use "an" before "whole" (since the word begins with a consonant sound), but that hardly explains there BEING an "n" after the word "whole"!

But, in fact, everyone has missed the main point. This really has nothing to do with whether there is or was a word "nother" or the a/an distinction. (Unfortunately, even the usually excellent "Mavens' Word of the Day" mistakenly reads this expression as an example of the "misdivision" of the indefinite article a(n) and a following noun -- http://www.randomhouse.com/wotd/index.pperl?date=19960807 ).

The base word here is simply "another". It is NOT the two-word phrase "an other", nor "a nother".

Indeed, the meaning of the expression is the same as "another", but "whole" is inserted for emphasis, and often for humorous effect.

This is an example of a well-established figure of speech, formally called "TMESIS" (meaning "cutting"), in which a word or phrase is inserted INTO another word. The inserted word is often used to emphasize the point of the base word, and (at least in modern English) frequently for a humorous effect. As such it is an INformal type of expression, found in informal speech, not for writing.

Examples:
"abso-bloomin-lutely" (found in the mouth of Eliza Doolitle in George Bernhard Shaw's "Pygmalion")
"how heinous e'er it be" (one from Shakespeare's "Richard II"!)

http://www.alphadictionary.com/goodword/word/tmesis
http://www.gurupedia.com/t/tm/tmesis.htm
compare http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tmesis (with added examples -- note that many of the "strengthening words" inserted are expletives, some mild, some not so mild)

So, looking back at the creation of this expression -- if you're going to insert "whole in the midst of "another" the only way that really works is "a whole nother" (just try saying "an whole other"!)

Answer 2

I am from the UK & whoever Paradise here in first answer said the UK, well excuse us for speaking English as it is,,, Not some backwoods farmhand slang. Proper English is such and spoken well if the people intend to use it as English and not slang.
I have never spoken like this and as others may do so, it is usually the way they are brought up hearing it in certain areas where some say,"Shedule instead of Schedule" as pronounced in saying School. I also say it is in the way they are taught now at school too, with certain teachers that do not know English well enough to teach it. To Paradise in the first answer here, Y'all have a good day now. Back at ya latah wit sum moh wurds for Y'all. Watch yo Hominy grits aint burnd.

Answer 3

"a whole nother" is more slang, heard most often in the south.

people don't say "an whole other" well because you don't put an in front of words that begin with consonants (minus a few exceptions, with W not being an exception"

People do say " a whole other" though.

Answer 4

Nother is a common computer typo, and since most people find it a b¡tch to click on a little link to check spelling it's not corrected.

Answer 5

I don't say that, never heard of "nother". The correct way of saying it is "A whole", not "An whole".

Answer 6

Don't punish yourself. Think of it like this. The gardening tool a prostitute uses is a ho hoe and it's always better to get the whole hole instead of only half a hole. Accidents happen. :)

Answer 7

Everyone doesn't. People do because they are unaware that the correct form is "a whole other", or because they are speaking sloppy english and can't be bothered to get it right.
A whole other (or an whole other) is a fairly ugly sentence formation anyway.

Answer 8

You wouldn't say an whole other anyway, because "an" is only used with a word that starts with a vowel.

The article a is used before consonant sounds; an is used before vowel sounds.
Words beginning with h, o and u sometimes begin with a vowel sound, sometimes a consonant sound.
Consonant Sound: a heroic couplet (h sound)
a once-happy lover (w sound)
a universal problem (y sound)
Vowel Sound: an honest man (no h sound)
an only child (o sound)
an unusual insect (u sound)

Answer 9

A whole nother just sounds cuter. It may not be correct grammar, but it's cutsie! :)

Answer 10

Because peoples diction in the UK is incorrect. At least most of the Americans know how to speak English.