Alphabet

Here you can discuss all things Latin. Use this board to ask questions about grammar, discuss learning strategies, get help with a difficult passage of Latin, and more.
Post Reply
coldgarden
Textkit Neophyte
Posts: 1
Joined: Tue Jun 10, 2008 1:05 am

Alphabet

Post by coldgarden »

In a New Latin Grammer, the alphabet is not including J, U, and W. In CD Beginners, the alpgabet is only not including the W. And in D'Ooge, no W or J. That is very confusing, and I was wondering what is the norm. I know that the anicent alphabet didn't use the J, and U; they were added in the Middle Ages.

User avatar
Lucus Eques
Textkit Zealot
Posts: 2037
Joined: Wed Jan 07, 2004 12:52 pm
Location: Pennsylvania
Contact:

Post by Lucus Eques »

It would be more accurate to say that the ancient Roman alphabet did not contain J or V — it had U, but it was often written as a V — really, the two were indistinguishable in orthography. 'j' is written for consonantal 'i', and 'v' is written for consonantal 'u'. "v" in Latin is pronounced as an English 'w'.

Here (scroll down to the part on orthography):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latin
L. Amādeus Rāniērius · Λ. Θεόφιλος Ῥᾱνιήριος 🦂

SCORPIO·MARTIANVS

Post Reply