Re: Y not? (was: Of Haa/hhet & other matters)

Mark J. Reed <markjreed@...> wrote:
> On Sun, Jan 23, 2005 at 03:37:29PM +0100, Andreas Johansson wrote:
>> How am I being inconsistent? By the original use of |y|, I mean the
>> use |y| had when it was introduced in the Latin alphabet. By the
>> original use of |v|, I mean the use |v| had when it was introduced as
>> a separate letter in the Latin alphabet (16th C, IIRC).
>
> But |v|, with value [w], was the original letter of the Latin alphabet.
> The letter |U| was was the later variant.
The *original* use of |V| was the vowel /u(:)/. Its use for [u]'s
semivowel [w] was based on that value, and it's one of life's little
accidents that the variant |u| ousted it entirely in that use.  Clearer
is the example of |I|, originally /i(:)/ but also the semivowel /j/,
where in this case the original form kept its vocalic value.

	*Muke!
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