this post was submitted on 21 Jul 2024
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[–] [email protected] 37 points 4 months ago (2 children)

In Dutch www is faster. Never understood why one would give a letter a name that consists of 2 parts.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 4 months ago (3 children)

I don't get why w is called double u when it's clearly a double v

[–] [email protected] 8 points 4 months ago

It's a long story. In short: In Latin script u and v were the same letter "u" but had two pronunciations depending on whether it was being used as a vowel or consonant. But when adapting the alphabet to Germanic languages (including Old English) the same two sounds were from two different letters, so they put two "u"s together to make double u: vv.

The full story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sg2j7mZ9-2Y

[–] [email protected] 4 points 4 months ago

In some languages (Spanish, for example) it's double v.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 4 months ago

U and V used to be the same letter

[–] [email protected] 8 points 4 months ago (5 children)
[–] [email protected] 4 points 4 months ago

In Flanders (at least where I'm at) we usually say I grec, but when doing math or reciting the alphabet, we say IJ.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Usually same as our compound letter "ij", similar but not quite how you'd prononuce the word "eye". Less commonly it's pronounced as "i-grec" (greek i) or "ypsilon".

[–] [email protected] 4 points 4 months ago

i-grec (but English sound for "e" just like in Dutch) is the French way as well.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 4 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 months ago (1 children)

We say it just like I wrote it, as one word. Although some people use Griekse IJ, which is also two words.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago (2 children)
[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago

Iks Üpsilon Zett

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago
[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 months ago

In Swedish I pronounce y as y. It has its own sound and doesn't sound like another letter, so it can't be written as a combination of other letters.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 months ago