Does double you trouble you?

I feel sorry for W. It's been mis-used, mis-represented, mis-treated and mis-understood. I pray this blog will do it the justice it deserves.


The biggest suffering for W was to be mistaken with V. And, yes, I admit, it is my people, my fellow Indians, that indulge, knowing or unknowingly, in traumatising W. Since we are naming and shaming, let’s add to the list of abusers: the continental Europeans (think Transylvania or Dracula saying “ I vaant to drink your blood.), and the early Latin speaking lot. It's unfair - so thank you LUDA, for this question.


Why is the letter 'W' called double U and not double 'V'?


I’d like to put the sole blame on the Indians or Transylvanians, but the truth is that they are not completely to blame. It’s the history of W itself that must be taken to court.

W has a history. A boring History. I know because read it. I would not recommend you reading it! Because I'm kind and generous, here's a summary:

At some point following the discovery of the wheel's roll-able properties and the two-stone-fire-miracle, when Latin was invented by some clever bearded and robed folk, the W sound was actually represented by U or V. Following this, with the coming of the Medieval Latin era, the W sound actually became the V sound. Weird, I know. But really, that’s how it happened!


Then people realised that they needed the W sound to say words like wind, water-melon and whey. So they started to represent the W sound with 'uu' to differentiate it from the W sound which had turned into the V sound! You follow?

In some scripts though, the W sound was still written as a double 'v', while other scripts adopted double 'u'. And that’s how it remains today.

Note: If the circumstances surrounding double you, trouble you, then I have some advice for you. It's simple, easy and will make you want to slap your forehead for not thinking it up yourself:

Just write your w's as uu and not vv.

Slapping your head yet?

Well so there you go, all you lot Who Wondered What Was With W, you have your answer! While I'm at it, I've pasted a remarkable story written by a chap only known to us as 'Anonymous'. Shame really. But good story, if you are willing excuse the weak plot.

Winnie and Walter
"Warm weather, Walter! Welcome warm weather! We were wishing winter would wane, weren't we?"

"We were well wearied with waiting," whispered Waiter wearily. Wan, white, woe-begone was Walter; wayward, wilful, worn with weakness, wasted, waxing weaker whenever winter's wild, withering winds were wailing. Wholly without waywardness was Winifred, Walter's wise, womanly watcher, who, with winsome, wooing way, was well-beloved.

"We won't wait, Walter; while weather's warm we'll wander where woodlands wave, won't we?"
Walter's wanton wretchedness wholly waned. "Why, Winnie, we'll walk where we went when we were with Willie; we'll weave wildflower wreaths, watch woodmen working; woodlice, worms wriggling; windmills whirling; watermills wheeling; we will win wild whortleberries, witness wheat winnowed."

Wisbeach woods were wild with wildflowers; warm, westerly winds whispered where willows were waving; wood-pigeons, wrens, woodpeckers were warbling wild woodnotes. IF YOU ARE REALLY BOTHERED TO READ THE REST OF IT, GET IN TOUCH!

I am still open to random questions, so ask away!!

Sana

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