Expertlatin
- Is there a letter Y in Latin?
- Did the Romans have the letter Y?
- Why was the Greek letters Y and Z were added to the end of the Latin alphabet?
- What is the origin of the letter Y?
Is there a letter Y in Latin?
In Latin, Y was named I graeca ("Greek I"), since the classical Greek sound /y/, similar to modern German ü or French u, was not a native sound for Latin speakers, and the letter was initially only used to spell foreign words.
Did the Romans have the letter Y?
The letter Y was not originally in Romans. Y was added to the Latin alphabet around the 1st century BCE to render Greek words better. This letter, to distinguish it from the Latin “I”, was called “I Greek”.
Why was the Greek letters Y and Z were added to the end of the Latin alphabet?
The Romans adapted Greek to form their own (Latin) alphabet. Initially they did not include Y or Z, believing them to be unnecessary. Later, however they began incorporating more Greek words into Latin vocabulary. At this stage they added Y & Z - at the end of the alphabet.
What is the origin of the letter Y?
However, in the Old English setting, when print typing had just been invented, the printing presses used the Latin alphabet. The symbol for thorn looked so similar to the “new letter” Y that eventually, thorn was removed from the alphabet and replaced by the letter “Y”.
