The Evolution of the U from Latin: How English Acquired its Sound
In the ancient times of the Roman Empire, the letter 'U' did not exist in its current form. Instead, the letter 'V' was used to represent both the sound /w/ and the /u/ sound, a concept that may seem quite foreign to modern readers. This is because the pronunciation of 'V' in Latin was closer to a /w/ sound, and it wasn't until much later, around the Medieval period, that it evolved into the /v/ sound due to the influence of other languages.
Early Writing and Letterforms
During the Middle Ages, when all writing was done by hand, the Latin alphabet underwent significant changes. The old Roman characters, known as majuscules or capital letters, had to evolve to accommodate the new sounds that were emerging in various Romance languages like Italian, French, and Spanish. This necessitated the addition of new letters like 'J', 'K', 'U', and 'W', and a new set of lowercase forms, known as minuscules, to the existing alphabet. These minuscules were referred to as 'lower-case' letters, differentiating them from the 'upper-case' majuscules.
The Emergence of Cursive Writing
The development of cursive writing was a natural step in the evolution of writing systems. Just as running is faster than walking, cursive writing was faster than block printing, making it a valuable tool for writers and scribes. The cursive style, from the Latin word cursus meaning 'running', allowed for a more fluid and connected way of writing. As cursive writing developed, the round-bottom minuscule 'v' began to take on the shape of the modern 'u'. This change can be observed in italics, which are a form of semi-cursive writing.
Linguistic and Typographical Evolution
As language continued to develop, a new phoneme, the V sound, was adopted from other languages. This sound persisted in ecclesiastical Latin, which continued to use the 'V' for both the /w/ and /v/ sounds. The primary distinction between the /v/ sound and the /u/ or /y/ sound became a matter of the shape of the letter. The round-bottom minuscule 'v' was used for the /u/ or /y/ sound, while the pointy-bottom majuscule 'V' was used for the /v/ sound.
This differentiation did not happen overnight. It took several centuries for the modern forms of 'u' and 'v' to become standardized. Even in the early 17th century, some printed books still used the round-bottom minuscule 'u' for the /v/ sound, alongside the pointy majuscule 'V'. This can be seen in an example from 1651, where the confusion between the two forms is evident.
Today, the distinctions between 'u' and 'v' are clear and well-established. However, it is important to remember that the development of these letters into their current forms was a long and gradual process, influenced by linguistic changes and the evolution of writing technologies.
Reflecting on this journey, it is fascinating to consider that the modern English alphabet could have taken a completely different path. The evolution of the 'U' and 'V' letters into their current forms is a testament to the dynamic nature of human languages and the rich history of writing systems.