# File lib/linguistics/en.rb, line 1168
    def a( phrase, count=nil )
        md = /\A(\s*)(.+?)(\s*)\Z/.match( phrase.to_s )
        pre, word, post = md.to_a[1,3]
        return phrase if word.nil? or word.empty?

        result = indef_article( word, count )
        return pre + result + post
    end