Why Is It Called a Double-U, When It Really Looks Like A Double-V

[THUNDER HANDS]

W - two V's
UU - two U's

Odd, don't you think?

[htuttle]

1. Did you ever try to write with a chisel?

That's why. Chisels can't do curves very well.

[THUNDER HANDS]

5. so how did they chisel U's

Or did they try to avoid words that had the letter 'U' in them?

[htuttle]

11. U's looked like V's

Here's another unrelated alphabet tidbit:

European runes never used horizontal lines (only vertical and diagonal ones), so that they didn't split the wood when you carved them across the grain.

[DarkPhenyx]

2. "U"'s used to look like "V"'s.

Long before they had rounded bottems they were pointy. I htink it had something to do with ease of carving in stone or something.

[chaska]

3. In French it is called a double V.

Yet more evidence that the French are smarter than us.

[Lisa0825]

8. I think it is pronounced 'doble ve' in spanish too, is it not?

[LynneSin]

4. Why are you called Magic Rat when you are neither Magical nor a Rat

:shrug:

[Mistress Quickly]

6. lol n/t

[THUNDER HANDS]

7. I'm magical

just ask loafie.

;)

[eyesroll]

9. In Spanish, it goes either way

"doble u" or "doble v"
I learned "doble v"
(My spelling could be off -- it's been a long, long time.)

[FoolishMoon]

10. Roman alphabet

Here's my guess...

The alphabet we use is called the Roman Alphabet.

If you've seen anything written in Latin from that time, they used a "V" for a "U" (e.g. "FORVM" for "FORUM")

So if V is U, ergo W is double-V, or double-U.

Or not.

FoolishMoon
"Latin Rules!"

[gottaB]

12. wha?

Originally the glyphs "U" and "V" did not denote different letters. The rounded "U" glyph evolved from a black letter tradition, while the angular "V" came from the chisled roman style. Slowly the two forms started appearing in the same font, and by the renaissance the "V" glyph was used initially, while the "U" glyph was used medially and finally. Hence "vpon" and "loue" for "upon" and "love".

http://bibliofile.mc.duke.edu/gww/fonts/ren

w

[blondeatlast]

13. It was invented by the same people who drew up the Medicare Rx

plan.

HAH! I made a funny!

[Dedalus]

14. good question

"V" used to be pronounced like "W" in Latin and the early Romance languages, so when the "V" sound got invented they did a little shuffling. I don't know what the sound was people would have used to refer to the letter "V" in, say, 1300s France, but maybe it was "woo" or something. Conversely, "W" is pronounced "V" in German... but why the hell is "V" a freaking "F" in German?