given the eventual enunciation of the word it’s more likely that the first word was ‘and’ or at least contained the n/m consonant. during a contraction between

given the eventual enunciation of the word it’s more likely that the first word was ‘and’ or at least contained the n/m consonant. during a contraction between ‘a’ and ‘p’ an extra/intermediate consonant is barely needed. that is to say that ‘amp’ is more likely to come out of ‘and p’ than ‘a p’