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J

The document discusses the history and evolution of the letters I and J. It details how I and J were not initially distinguished and how their differentiation evolved over centuries, with J coming to represent the consonantal sound while I represented the vowel. It also discusses the sounds represented by J in various contexts.

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Marvin Lucero Fiscal
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32 views1 page

J

The document discusses the history and evolution of the letters I and J. It details how I and J were not initially distinguished and how their differentiation evolved over centuries, with J coming to represent the consonantal sound while I represented the vowel. It also discusses the sounds represented by J in various contexts.

Uploaded by

Marvin Lucero Fiscal
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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j is the tenth letter of the alphabet. Until recently, it was not distinguished from the letter i.

It was common practice in medieval manuscripts to extend the letter I when it was in a prominent place,
particularly when it was initial. Because the initial I carried consonantal power, the long form came to be
seen as expressing the consonant and the short form the vowel in whichever position they appeared.
The process of differentiation started about the 14th century but was not completed until the 17th
century. For certain purposes, such as an alphabetical sequence, the letters I and J are not always
considered separate, with the enumeration sometimes shifting from I to K.

The semivowel or spirant I was the initial consonantal sound represented by the letter (the sound of y in
the word yacht). This evolved into dy, and then became the sound d that the letter now symbolizes. This
sound was already established in the language in terms of Romance origin where it was represented by
g (e.g., gesture or ginger), and these words maintain their spelling. In English, the letter J signifies the
same sound (d) in all locations, and variations from it are exceedingly unusual, even in words of foreign
origin. However, in the bird name jaeger, both the sound d and the sound y are accepted, and in some
personal and geographical names of Spanish origin (e.g., Javier, La Jolla), the sound h is current in English
use. The tiny form j is the longer form of minuscule I with the dot retained.

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