That is, the Latin /u/, /ʊ/ and /w/ (all encased within Vv).
Latin script did not differentiate between V and U. Historically, V originally represented the sound of U, and F represented the sound of W (much like the the beloved digamma [ϝ] of Greek). All four of these sounds /u/ and /ʊ/, /f/ and /w/ existed in the Latin language over the entire historic period. The confusion arises from a change in script, not a change in speech.
So, /u/ and /ʊ/ were V and /w/ was F, but then F became /f/, so V also became /w/, resulting in V as /w/, /u/ and /ʊ/. The V was one letter with three phonetic powers: two vowels, and one consonant. To make matters more reasonable, but perhaps also more confusing, the consonant /w/ is considered a semi-vowel, glide or approximate. Must like the Latin I (where i operates as glide consonant /y/), the Latin V is always followed by a vowel, and is effective the ‘edge’ of the vowels syllabic unit.
Let’s look at some examples.
- Greetings, Julius Caesar = AVE IVLIVS CÆSAR = avē, Iūlius Caesar ~ /awe yuliʊs kʰαιzeɹ/
This example has pretty much everything we need to see. It shows all three uses of V = as a glide, attached to the long ē in avē, as a long ū and as a short u.
Note that that proper ‘u‘ can also approach the English w /w/: aqua, anguis, cōnsuētus [cf. quart, anguish, suave]
The Essential AG: 5n
There’s no way I made it through this entire post without some gaping typo. I’m by no means a phoneticist, so don’t hesitate to correct me!
If you ask, “qnguis” pro “anguis”! Thanks for the article. I ignored completely the /ʊ/ value for v.
And since you do ask,
your use of “must” should be “much.”
Thanks all!
You’re also missing the ‘s’ in Caesar. Quite interesting all the same, though!
thanks!