From the NannyMUD documentation

LAST CHANGE

2001-02-07

FUNCTION

NAME
        a_name - Returns a kind of name for an object.


LOCATION
	/obj/support

SYNTAX
	string a_name(object ob)

DESCRIPTION
	If the ob equals this_player(), "YOU" will be returned.

	If the object returns a string on query_name:
	If ob is a living, query_name() is returned, otherwise
	"a"/"an" appended with query_name() is returned.

	If no string is returned on query_name, and no short is set:
	If the object is living, "someone" is returned, otherwise
	"something".

	If short is set, but not query_name:
	"A", "an" and "the" is removed from the beginning of the short desc,
	and if the object is a living this will be returned. If the object
	isn't a living, "a" or "an" will be put in front of the modified short
	desc.


EXAMPLE
	/* ob is an object the player just bought */

	write("You got "+this_player()->a_name(ob)+".\n");


SEE ALSO
        generic_name in support/generic_name


SEE ALSO
        vocp in obj/lingua