The word "Y"

[anthony]

You know how you're supposed to change the word y (and) to "e" when it comes before a word that starts with i, but I was wondering, since i and y have the same pronunciation, what about when it comes before a word that starts with y? or a word that starts with hi? since the h is silent?

[Rusty]

The word 'y' changes to 'e' when the word that follows it begins with 'i' or 'hi'. It does not change to 'e' when the word that follows it begins with a 'y'.

[sosia]

RAE ( REAL ACADEMIA ESPAÑOLA )
e
1. conj. copulat. Era u. por y, a la cual sustituye hoy, para evitar el hiato, ante palabras que empiezan por i o hi. Juan e Ignacio. Padre e hijo. No reemplaza a la y en principio de interrogación o admiración, ni cuando la palabra siguiente empieza por y o por la sílaba hie. ¿Y Ignacio? ¡Y Isidoro también comprometido! Ocaña y Yepes. Tigre y hiena.

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"e" substitutes today "y", to avoid the hiatus, before words that they begin for i or hi. "Juan and Ignacio". "Padre e hijo". It don't replaces "y" at the beginning of a interrogation or admirationn sentence, nor when the following word begins with "y" or the syllable "hie". " ¿Y Ignacio? ¡Y Isidoro también comprometido! Ocaña y Yepes. Tigre y hiena."


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It was was Rusty said.

[Elaina]

Gracias Sosia!!!

I was reading it in Spanish and I was soooooooo confused!! I didn't know why you guys kept referring to the letter "Y" as a word and not a letter. I knew that it translates to "and" but in English, it is only a letter and not a word.

But then you translated it to English and not only do I understand what you are talking about, I LEARNED SOMETHING NEW!!

Gracias!!
Elaina

[sosia]

Thanks Elaina
I forgot to translate "Juan and Ignacio" as "Juan e Ignacio".
I used an automatic tranlastion and checked.
saludos