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{{short description| |
{{short description|23rd letter of the Latin alphabet}} |
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{{distinguish| We (Cyrillic)}} |
{{distinguish| We (Cyrillic)}} |
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{{About|the letter of the Latin alphabet}} |
{{About|the letter of the Latin alphabet}} |
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|fam3=[[File:PhoenicianW-01.svg|20px]] |
|fam3=[[File:PhoenicianW-01.svg|20px]] |
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|fam4=[[Image:Phoenician waw.svg|20px|Waw]] |
|fam4=[[Image:Phoenician waw.svg|20px|Waw]] |
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|fam5=[[Image:Early Aramaic character - vav. |
|fam5=[[Image:Early Aramaic character - vav.svg|20px|Waw]] |
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|fam6=[[Upsilon|Υ υ]] |
|fam6=[[Upsilon|Υ υ]] |
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|fam7=[[𐌖]] |
|fam7=[[𐌖]] |
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|associates=[[List of Latin-script digraphs#W|w(x)]] |
|associates=[[List of Latin-script digraphs#W|w(x)]] |
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|direction=Left-to-Right |
|direction=Left-to-Right |
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|image=File:Latin_letter_W.svg}} |
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}} |
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{{Latin letter info|w}} |
{{Latin letter info|w}} |
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'''W''', or '''w''', is the twenty-third |
'''W''', or '''w''', is the twenty-third [[letter (alphabet)|letter]] of the [[Latin alphabet]], used in the [[English alphabet|modern English alphabet]], the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is [[English alphabet#Letter names|''double-u'']],<ref group="in">Pronounced {{IPAc-en|ˈ|d|ʌ|b|əl|.|j|uː}} {{respell|DUH|bəl|yoo}} in formal situations, but colloquially often {{IPAc-en|ˈ|d|ʌ|b|ə|j|uː}} {{respell|DUH|bə|yoo}}, {{IPAc-en|ˈ|d|ʌ|b|j|uː}} {{respell|DUH|bew}}, {{IPAc-en|ˈ|d|ʌ|b|ə|j|ə}} {{respell|DUH|bə|yə}} or {{IPAc-en|ˈ|d|ʌ|b|j|ə}} {{respell|DUH|byə}}, with a silent ''l''.</ref> plural ''double-ues''.<ref>"W", ''Oxford English Dictionary,'' 2nd edition (1989); 'W", ''Oxford English Dictionary,'' 2nd edition (1989); ''[[Merriam-Webster's Third New International Dictionary of the English Language]], Unabridged'' (1993) [[Merriam Webster]]</ref><ref>Brown & Kiddle (1870) ''The institutes of grammar,'' p. 19. <br>''Double-ues'' is the plural of the name of the letter; the plural of the letter itself is written W's, ''W''s, w's, or ''w''s.</ref> |
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== |
==Name== |
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Double-u, whose name reflects stages in the letter's evolution when it was considered two of the same letter, a double U, is the only modern English letter whose name has more than one syllable.<ref group="in">However, "Izzard" was formerly a two-syllable pronunciation of the letter '''[[Z]]'''.</ref> It is also the only English letter whose name is not pronounced with any of the sounds that the letter typically makes in words, with the exception of [[H]] for some speakers. |
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[[File:WondersoftheInvisibleWorld-1693.jpg|left|thumb|A 1693 book printing that uses the "double u" alongside the modern letter; this was acceptable if printers did not have the letter in stock or the font had been made without it.]] |
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Some speakers shorten the name "double u" into "dub-u" or just "dub"; for example, [[University of Wisconsin]], [[University of Washington]], [[University of Wyoming]], [[University of Waterloo]], [[University of the Western Cape]] and [[University of Western Australia]] are all known colloquially as "U Dub", and the automobile company [[Volkswagen]], abbreviated "VW", is sometimes pronounced "V-Dub".<ref>{{cite web|last=Volkswagen|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgEvy60bZYI| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060502184847/http://youtube.com/watch?v=qgEvy60bZYI| archive-date=2006-05-02|title=VW Unpimp – Drop it like its hot|website=YouTube|access-date=November 3, 2011}}</ref> The fact that many website URLs require a "[[www.]]" prefix has been influential in promoting these shortened pronunciations.{{citation needed|date=November 2021}} |
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In other [[West Germanic languages]], its name is monosyllabic: German {{lang|de|We}} {{IPA|/veː/}}, Dutch {{lang|nl|wee}} {{IPA|/ʋeː/}}. In many languages, its name literally means "double v": Portuguese ''duplo vê'',<ref group="in">In [[Brazilian Portuguese]], it is ''[[wikt:dáblio#Portuguese|dáblio]]'', which is a loanword from the English ''double-u''.</ref> Spanish ''doble ve'' (though it can be spelled ''uve doble''),<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.taringa.net/posts/noticias/7792488/Real-Academia-Espanola-elimina-la-Ch-y-ll-del-alfabeto.html |title=Real Academia Española elimina la Ch y ll del alfabeto |publisher=Taringa! |date=November 5, 2010 |access-date=November 4, 2011 |archive-date=June 3, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130603013419/http://www.taringa.net/posts/noticias/7792488/Real-Academia-Espanola-elimina-la-Ch-y-ll-del-alfabeto.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref group="in">In [[Latin American Spanish]], it is ''doble ve'', similar [[wikt:W#Spanish|regional variations]] exist in other Spanish-speaking countries.</ref> French ''double vé'', [[Icelandic language|Icelandic]] ''tvöfalt vaff'', [[Czech language|Czech]] ''dvojité vé'', [[Estonian language|Estonian]] ''kaksisvee'', [[Finnish language|Finnish]] ''kaksois-vee'', etc. |
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==History== |
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{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" |
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|- |
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! Proto-Sinaitic |
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! Phoenician<br />[[Waw (letter)|Waw]] |
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! Western Greek<br />[[Upsilon]] |
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! Latin<br />V |
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! Latin<br />W |
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|- |
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| [[File:Proto-semiticW-01.png|40px]] |
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| [[File:PhoenicianW-01.svg|frameless|40x40px]] |
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| [[File:Greek_Upsilon_normal.svg|40px]] |
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| [[File:Capitalis monumentalis V.SVG|x30px|Latin V]] |
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| [[File:Capitalis monumentalis W.SVG|x30px|Latin W]] |
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|} |
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[[File:William Caslon IV Five Lines Pica No. 2 Italic (cropped).jpg|thumb|This cursive 'w' was popular in calligraphy of the eighteenth century;<ref name="Flawed Typefaces" /><ref name="Berry Roundhand">{{cite web |last1=Berry |first1=John |title=A History: English round hand and 'The Universal Penman' |url=https://blog.typekit.com/alternate/a-history-english-round-hand-and-the-universal-penman/ |website=Typekit |publisher=Adobe Systems |access-date=May 19, 2020 |archive-date=October 3, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201003034145/https://blog.typekit.com/alternate/a-history-english-round-hand-and-the-universal-penman/ |url-status=live }}</ref> a late appearance in a font of {{Circa|1816}}.<ref name="Caslon IV">{{cite book |last1=Caslon |first1=William IV |title=Untitled fragment of a specimen book of printing types, c. 1816 |date=1816 |publisher=William Caslon IV |location=London |url=https://archive.org/details/ldpd_11344964_000/page/n3/mode/2up |access-date=May 19, 2020}}</ref>]] |
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The [[Latin alphabet#Classical Latin alphabet|classical Latin alphabet]], from which the modern European alphabets derived, did not have the "W" character. The "W" sounds were represented by the Latin letter "[[V]]" (at the time, not yet distinct from "[[U]]"). |
The [[Latin alphabet#Classical Latin alphabet|classical Latin alphabet]], from which the modern European alphabets derived, did not have the "W" character. The "W" sounds were represented by the Latin letter "[[V]]" (at the time, not yet distinct from "[[U]]"). |
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In [[Middle High German]] (and possibly already in late Old High German), the West Germanic phoneme {{IPA|/w/}} became realized as {{IPAblink|v}}; this is why, today, the German {{angbr|w}} represents that sound. |
In [[Middle High German]] (and possibly already in late Old High German), the West Germanic phoneme {{IPA|/w/}} became realized as {{IPAblink|v}}; this is why, today, the German {{angbr|w}} represents that sound. |
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==Use in writing systems== |
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==Pronunciation and use== |
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{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible" |
{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible" |
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|+ Pronunciation of {{angbr|w}} by language |
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|+Pronunciations of Ww |
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! Orthography |
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!Language |
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! Phonemes |
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!Dialect(s) |
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!Pronunciation ([[International Phonetic Alphabet|IPA]]) |
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!Environment |
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!Notes |
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|- |
|- |
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![[ |
! {{nwr|[[Standard Chinese]]}} ([[Pinyin]]) |
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| {{IPAslink|w}} |
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![[Mandarin Chinese|Mandarin]] |
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|{{IPAslink|w}} |
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| |
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|In [[Pinyin]] romanization |
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|- |
|- |
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! |
! [[Cornish orthography|Cornish]] |
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|{{IPAslink|ʊ}} |
| {{IPAslink|ʊ}} (archaic), {{IPAslink|w}} |
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|Usually |
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|Archaic spelling |
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|- |
|- |
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! [[Dutch orthography|Dutch]] |
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|{{IPAslink|w}} |
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| {{IPAslink|ʋ}} |
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|Before vowels |
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| |
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|- |
|- |
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! [[English orthography|English]] |
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! rowspan="3" |[[Dutch language|Dutch]] |
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| {{IPAslink|w}} |
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![[Flemish dialects|Flemish]], [[Surinamese Dutch|Surinamese]] |
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| rowspan="2" |{{IPAslink|β}} |
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| |
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| |
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|- |
|- |
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! [[German orthography|German]] |
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! rowspan="2" |[[Dutch Language Union|Standard]] |
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| {{IPAslink|v}} |
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|After u |
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| |
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|- |
|- |
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! [[Irish Gaelic|Irish]] |
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|{{IPAslink|ʋ}} |
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| {{IPAslink|w}} |
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|Usually |
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| |
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|- |
|- |
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! [[Indonesian orthography|Indonesian]] |
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! colspan="2" |[[English language|English]] |
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|{{IPAslink|w}} |
| {{IPAslink|w}} |
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| |
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| |
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|- |
|- |
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![[ |
! [[Japanese language|Japanese]] ([[Hepburn romanization|Hepburn]]) |
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| {{IPAslink|w}} |
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![[Standard German|Standard]] |
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|{{IPAslink|v}} |
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| |
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| |
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|- |
|- |
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! [[Kashubian alphabet|Kashubian]] |
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! colspan="2" |[[Irish Gaelic|Irish]] |
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|{{IPAslink| |
| {{IPAslink|v}} |
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| |
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| |
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|- |
|- |
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! [[Kokborok]] |
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! colspan="2" |[[Indonesian language|Indonesian]] |
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|{{IPAslink| |
| {{IPAslink|ɔ}} |
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| |
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| |
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|- |
|- |
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! [[Kurdish orthography|Kurdish]] |
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! colspan="2" |[[Kashubian language|Kashubian]] |
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|{{IPAslink| |
| {{IPAslink|w}} |
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| |
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| |
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|- |
|- |
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! |
! [[Low German]] |
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|{{IPAslink| |
| {{IPAslink|ʋ}} |
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| |
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| |
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|- |
|- |
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! |
! [[Lower Sorbian language|Lower Sorbian]] |
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|{{IPAslink| |
| {{IPAslink|v}} |
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| |
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| |
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|- |
|- |
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! [[North Frisian language|North Frisian]] |
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! colspan="2" |[[Low German]] |
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|{{IPAslink|ʋ}} |
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| |
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| |
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|- |
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! colspan="2" |[[Lower Sorbian language|Lower Sorbian]] |
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|{{IPAslink|v}} |
|{{IPAslink|v}} |
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| |
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| |
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|- |
|- |
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! |
! [[Old Prussian language|Old Prussian]] |
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|{{IPAslink| |
| {{IPAslink|w}} (archaic) |
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| |
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| |
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|- |
|- |
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! [[Polish orthography|Polish]] |
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! colspan="2" |[[Old Prussian language|Old Prussian]] |
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|{{IPAslink|w}} |
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| |
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|Archaic spelling |
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|- |
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! colspan="2" |[[Polish language|Polish]] |
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|{{IPAslink|v}} |
|{{IPAslink|v}} |
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| |
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| |
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|- |
|- |
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! |
! [[Saterland Frisian language|Saterlandic]] |
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|{{IPAslink|v}} |
| {{IPAslink|v}} |
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| |
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| |
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|- |
|- |
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! |
! [[Turkmen orthography|Turkmen]] |
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|{{IPAslink|β}} |
| {{IPAslink|β}} |
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| |
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| |
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|- |
|- |
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! |
! [[Upper Sorbian language|Upper Sorbian]] |
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|{{IPAslink|β}} |
| {{IPAslink|β}} |
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| |
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| |
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|- |
|- |
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! |
! [[Walloon alphabet|Walloon]] |
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|{{IPAslink|w}} |
| {{IPAslink|w}} |
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| |
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| |
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|- |
|- |
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! |
! [[Welsh orthography|Welsh]] |
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|{{IPAslink|ʊ}} |
| {{IPAslink|ʊ}}, {{IPAslink|w}} |
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|Usually |
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| |
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|- |
|- |
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! [[West Frisian alphabet|West Frisian]] |
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|{{IPAslink|w}} |
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| {{IPAslink|v}}, {{IPAslink|w}} |
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|Before vowels |
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| |
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|- |
|- |
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! |
! [[Wymysorys language|Wymysorys]] |
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|{{IPAslink|v}} |
| {{IPAslink|v}} |
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|Before vowels |
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| |
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|- |
|- |
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! [[Zhuang alphabet|Zhuang]] |
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|{{IPAslink|w}} |
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| {{IPAslink|ɯ}} |
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|After vowels |
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| |
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|- |
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! colspan="2" |[[Wymysorys language|Wymysorys]] |
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|{{IPAslink|v}} |
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| |
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|} |
|} |
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===Other languages=== |
===Other languages=== |
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In Europe languages with {{angbr|w}} in native words are in a central-western European zone between Cornwall and Poland: English, [[German language|German]], [[Low German language|Low German]], [[Dutch language|Dutch]], [[Frisian languages|Frisian]], [[Welsh language|Welsh]], [[Cornish language|Cornish]], [[Breton language|Breton]], [[Walloon language|Walloon]], [[Polish language|Polish]], [[Kashubian language|Kashubian]], [[Sorbian languages|Sorbian]], [[Wymysorys language|Wymysorys]], [[Resian dialect|Resian]] and [[North Germanic languages|Scandinavian dialects]]. German, Polish, Wymysorys and Kashubian use it for the [[voiced labiodental fricative]] {{IPA|/v/}} (with Polish, related Kashubian and Wymysorys using [[Ł]] for {{IPA|/w/}}, except in conservative and some eastern Polish speech, where Ł still represents the [[dark L]] sound.), and Dutch uses it for {{IPA|/ʋ/}}. Unlike its use in other languages, the letter is used in [[Welsh language|Welsh]] and [[Cornish language|Cornish]] to represent the vowel {{IPA|/u/}} as well as the related approximant consonant {{IPA|/w/}}. |
In Europe languages with {{angbr|w}} in native words are in a central-western European zone between Cornwall and Poland: English, [[German language|German]], [[Low German language|Low German]], [[Dutch language|Dutch]], [[Frisian languages|Frisian]], [[Welsh language|Welsh]], [[Cornish language|Cornish]], [[Breton language|Breton]], [[Walloon language|Walloon]], [[Polish language|Polish]], [[Kashubian language|Kashubian]], [[Sorbian languages|Sorbian]], [[Wymysorys language|Wymysorys]], [[Resian dialect|Resian]] and [[North Germanic languages|Scandinavian dialects]]. German, Polish, Wymysorys and Kashubian use it for the [[voiced labiodental fricative]] {{IPA|/v/}} (with Polish, related Kashubian and Wymysorys using [[Ł]] for {{IPA|/w/}}, except in conservative and some eastern Polish speech, where Ł still represents the [[dark L]] sound.), and Dutch uses it for {{IPA|/ʋ/}}. Unlike its use in other languages, the letter is used in [[Welsh language|Welsh]] and [[Cornish language|Cornish]] to represent the vowel {{IPA|/u/}} as well as the related approximant consonant {{IPA|/w/}}.[[File:WondersoftheInvisibleWorld-1693.jpg|left|thumb|A 1693 book printing that uses the "double u" alongside the modern letter; this was acceptable if printers did not have the letter in stock or the font had been made without it.]] |
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The following languages historically used {{angbr|w}} for {{IPA|/v/}} in native words, but later replaced it by {{angbr|v}}: [[Swedish language|Swedish]], [[Finnish language|Finnish]], [[Czech language|Czech]], [[Slovak language|Slovak]], [[Latvian language|Latvian]], [[Lithuanian language|Lithuanian]], [[Estonian language|Estonian]], [[Ukrainian Latin alphabet|Ukrainian Łatynka]] and [[Belarusian Latin alphabet|Belarusian Łacinka]]. It is also used in modern systems of [[Romanization of Belarusian]] for the letter {{angbr|[[ў]]}}, for example in the BGN/PCGN<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |url=https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/811510/ROMANIZATION_OF_BELARUSIAN.pdf |title=Belarusian romanization (June 2019) (publishing.service.gov.uk) |access-date=November 16, 2021 |archive-date=October 6, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211006223432/https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/811510/ROMANIZATION_OF_BELARUSIAN.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> system, in contrast to the letter {{angbr|[[ŭ]]}}, which is used in the [[Instruction on transliteration of Belarusian geographical names with letters of Latin script]]. |
The following languages historically used {{angbr|w}} for {{IPA|/v/}} in native words, but later replaced it by {{angbr|v}}: [[Swedish language|Swedish]], [[Finnish language|Finnish]], [[Czech language|Czech]], [[Slovak language|Slovak]], [[Latvian language|Latvian]], [[Lithuanian language|Lithuanian]], [[Estonian language|Estonian]], [[Ukrainian Latin alphabet|Ukrainian Łatynka]] and [[Belarusian Latin alphabet|Belarusian Łacinka]]. It is also used in modern systems of [[Romanization of Belarusian]] for the letter {{angbr|[[ў]]}}, for example in the BGN/PCGN<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |url=https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/811510/ROMANIZATION_OF_BELARUSIAN.pdf |title=Belarusian romanization (June 2019) (publishing.service.gov.uk) |access-date=November 16, 2021 |archive-date=October 6, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211006223432/https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/811510/ROMANIZATION_OF_BELARUSIAN.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> system, in contrast to the letter {{angbr|[[ŭ]]}}, which is used in the [[Instruction on transliteration of Belarusian geographical names with letters of Latin script]]. |
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In [[Finnish alphabet|Finnish]], {{angbr|w}} is sometimes seen as a variant of {{angbr|v}} and not a separate letter, but it is a part of official alphabet. It is, however, recognized and maintained in the spelling of some old names, reflecting an earlier German spelling standard, and in some modern loan words. In all cases, it is pronounced {{IPA|/ʋ/}}. The first edition of the ''[[Kalevala]]'' had its title spelled ''Kalewala''. |
In [[Finnish alphabet|Finnish]], {{angbr|w}} is sometimes seen as a variant of {{angbr|v}} and not a separate letter, but it is a part of official alphabet. It is, however, recognized and maintained in the spelling of some old names, reflecting an earlier German spelling standard, and in some modern loan words. In all cases, it is pronounced {{IPA|/ʋ/}}. The first edition of the ''[[Kalevala]]'' had its title spelled ''Kalewala''. |
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In [[Danish alphabet|Danish]], [[Norwegian alphabet|Norwegian]] and [[Swedish alphabet|Swedish]], {{angbr|w}} is named double-v and not double-u. In these languages, the letter only exists in old names, loanwords and foreign words. (Foreign words are distinguished from loanwords by having a significantly lower level of integration in the language.) It is usually pronounced {{IPA|/v/}}, but in some words of English origin it may be pronounced {{IPA|/w/}}.<ref>{{cite |
In [[Danish alphabet|Danish]], [[Norwegian alphabet|Norwegian]] and [[Swedish alphabet|Swedish]], {{angbr|w}} is named double-v and not double-u. In these languages, the letter only exists in old names, loanwords and foreign words. (Foreign words are distinguished from loanwords by having a significantly lower level of integration in the language.) It is usually pronounced {{IPA|/v/}}, but in some words of English origin it may be pronounced {{IPA|/w/}}.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.denstoredanske.dk/Sprog,_religion_og_filosofi/Sprog/Ortografi/w_W|title=W, w - Gyldendal - Den Store Danske|newspaper=Den Store Danske|access-date=November 7, 2017|archive-date=September 4, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170904141630/http://denstoredanske.dk/Sprog,_religion_og_filosofi/Sprog/Ortografi/w_W|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.svenskaakademien.se/svenska_spraket/svenska_akademiens_ordlista/saol_pa_natet/ordlista |title=Ordlista |access-date=January 29, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120824045619/https://www.svenskaakademien.se/svenska_spraket/svenska_akademiens_ordlista/saol_pa_natet/ordlista |archive-date=August 24, 2012 }}, page 1098</ref> The letter was officially introduced in the Danish and Swedish alphabets as late as 1980 and 2006, respectively, despite having been in use for much longer. It had been recognized since the conception of modern Norwegian, with the earliest official orthography rules of 1907.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Aars |first1=Jonathan |last2=Hofgaard |first2=Simon Wright |title=Norske retskrivnings-regler med alfabetiske ordlister |publisher=W. C. Fabritius & Sønner |year=1907 |language=no |pages=19, 84 |url=http://urn.nb.no/URN:NBN:no-nb_digibok_2006081600014#&struct=DIVP19 |access-date=September 18, 2011 |id=NBN 2006081600014 |archive-date=February 18, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220218163256/https://www.nb.no/items/URN:NBN:no-nb_digibok_2006081600014#&struct=DIVP19 |url-status=live }}</ref> {{angbr|W}} was earlier seen as a variant of {{angbr|v}}, and {{angbr|w}} as a letter (double-v) is still commonly replaced by {{angbr|v}} in speech (e.g. WC being pronounced as VC, www as VVV, WHO as VHO, etc.) The two letters were sorted as equals before {{angbr|w}} was officially recognized, and that practice is still recommended when sorting names in Sweden.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.spraknamnden.se/fragor/arkiv_sprakrad.htm#w |title=Veckans språkråd 2006 |language=sv |date=July 5, 2007 |access-date=September 18, 2011 |archive-date=October 14, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181014150649/http://www.spraknamnden.se/fragor/arkiv_sprakrad.htm#w |url-status=dead }}</ref> In modern slang, some native speakers may pronounce {{angbr|w}} more closely to the origin of the loanword than the official {{IPA|/v/}} pronunciation. |
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Multiple dialects of Swedish and Danish use the sound however. In Denmark notably in [[Jutland]], where the northern half use it extensively in [[Jutlandic dialect|traditional dialect]], and multiple places in Sweden. It is used in southern Swedish, for example in Halland where the words "wesp" (wisp) and "wann" (water) are traditionally used.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Ordbok öfver Halländska landskapsmålet|last=Peter|first=von Möller|publisher=Berlingska boktryckeriet|year=1858|location=Lund|pages=17}}</ref> In northern and western Sweden there are also dialects with {{IPA|/w/}}. [[Elfdalian]] is a good example, which is one of many dialects where the [[Old Norse orthography|Old Norse difference between v ({{IPA|/w/}}) and f ({{IPA|/v/}} or {{IPA|/f/}}) |
Multiple dialects of Swedish and Danish use the sound however. In Denmark notably in [[Jutland]], where the northern half use it extensively in [[Jutlandic dialect|traditional dialect]], and multiple places in Sweden. It is used in southern Swedish, for example in Halland where the words "wesp" (wisp) and "wann" (water) are traditionally used.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Ordbok öfver Halländska landskapsmålet|last=Peter|first=von Möller|publisher=Berlingska boktryckeriet|year=1858|location=Lund|pages=17}}</ref> In northern and western Sweden there are also dialects with {{IPA|/w/}}. [[Elfdalian]] is a good example, which is one of many dialects where the [[Old Norse orthography|Old Norse difference]] between v ({{IPA|/w/}}) and f ({{IPA|/v/}} or {{IPA|/f/}}) is preserved. Thus "warg" from Old Norse "vargr", but『åvå』from Old Norse "hafa". |
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In the alphabets of most modern Romance languages, {{angbr|w}} is used mostly in foreign names and words recently borrowed (Italian ''il watt'', Spanish ''el kiwi''). In Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese, {{IPA|[w]}} is a non-syllabic variant of {{IPA|/u/}}, spelled {{angbr|u}}. In Italian, while the letter {{angbr|w}} is not considered part of the standard [[Italian alphabet]], the character is often used in place of ''Viva'' (hooray for...), generally in the form in which the branches of the Vs cross in the middle, at least in [[handwriting]] (in fact it could be considered a [[monogram]]).<ref name="Zingarelli 1945 1713">{{cite book |last=Zingarelli |first=Nicola |title=Vocabolario della lingua italiana |edition=7 |year=1945 |publisher=Nicola Zanichelli |location=Bologna |page=1713}}</ref> The same symbol written upside down indicates ''abbasso'' (down with...). In French, {{angbr|w}} is also used mostly in foreign names and words recently borrowed such as ''wagon'' or ''week(-)end'', but in the first case it is pronounced {{IPA|[v]}} (because of its German origin; except in Belgium, where it is pronounced [w]) and in the second {{IPA|[w]}}. In most northern French dialects the former {{angbr|w}} turned finally to {{angbr|v}}, but still exists as a remnant in the place-names of [[Romance Flanders]], [[Picardie]], [[Artois]], [[Champagne]], [[Lorraine|Romance Lorraine]] and sometimes elsewhere ([[Normandy]], [[Île-de-France]]), and in the surnames from the same regions. Walloon as it sounds conserves the {{angbr|w}} pronounced {{IPA|[w]}}. The digraph {{angbr|ou}} is used to render {{angbr|w}} in rare French words such as ''ouest'' "west" and to spell Arabic names transliterated ''-wi'' in English, but ''-oui'' in French (compare Arabic surname [[Badawi]] / Badaoui). In all these languages, as in Scandinavian languages mentioned above, the letter is named "double v" (French {{IPA|/dubləve/}}, Spanish {{IPA|/'dɔble 'uβe/}}) though in Belgium the name {{IPA|/we/}} is also used. |
In the alphabets of most modern Romance languages, {{angbr|w}} is used mostly in foreign names and words recently borrowed (Italian ''il watt'', Spanish ''el kiwi''). In Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese, {{IPA|[w]}} is a non-syllabic variant of {{IPA|/u/}}, spelled {{angbr|u}}. In Italian, while the letter {{angbr|w}} is not considered part of the standard [[Italian alphabet]], the character is often used in place of ''Viva'' (hooray for...), generally in the form in which the branches of the Vs cross in the middle, at least in [[handwriting]] (in fact it could be considered a [[monogram]]).<ref name="Zingarelli 1945 1713">{{cite book |last=Zingarelli |first=Nicola |title=Vocabolario della lingua italiana |edition=7 |year=1945 |publisher=Nicola Zanichelli |location=Bologna |page=1713}}</ref> The same symbol written upside down indicates ''abbasso'' (down with...). In French, {{angbr|w}} is also used mostly in foreign names and words recently borrowed such as ''wagon'' or ''week(-)end'', but in the first case it is pronounced {{IPA|[v]}} (because of its German origin; except in Belgium, where it is pronounced [w]) and in the second {{IPA|[w]}}. In most northern French dialects the former {{angbr|w}} turned finally to {{angbr|v}}, but still exists as a remnant in the place-names of [[Romance Flanders]], [[Picardie]], [[Artois]], [[Champagne]], [[Lorraine|Romance Lorraine]] and sometimes elsewhere ([[Normandy]], [[Île-de-France]]), and in the surnames from the same regions. Walloon as it sounds conserves the {{angbr|w}} pronounced {{IPA|[w]}}. The digraph {{angbr|ou}} is used to render {{angbr|w}} in rare French words such as ''ouest'' "west" and to spell Arabic names transliterated ''-wi'' in English, but ''-oui'' in French (compare Arabic surname [[Badawi]] / Badaoui). In all these languages, as in Scandinavian languages mentioned above, the letter is named "double v" (French {{IPA|/dubləve/}}, Spanish {{IPA|/'dɔble 'uβe/}}) though in Belgium the name {{IPA|/we/}} is also used. |
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In the [[Kokborok|Kokborok language]], {{angbr|w}} represents the [[open-mid back rounded vowel]] {{IPA|/ɔ/}}. |
In the [[Kokborok|Kokborok language]], {{angbr|w}} represents the [[open-mid back rounded vowel]] {{IPA|/ɔ/}}. |
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In Turkey the use of the w was banned between 1928 and 2013<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|title=Ban on Kurdish letters to be lifted with democracy package - Turkey News|url=https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/ban-on-kurdish-letters-to-be-lifted-with-democracy-package-55254|access-date=2022-01-17|website=Hürriyet Daily News|language=en|archive-date=January 17, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220117020305/https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/ban-on-kurdish-letters-to-be-lifted-with-democracy-package-55254|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Othmann|first=Ronya|title=Kolumne "Import Export": Bei X,Q,W ins Gefängnis|language=de|work=FAZ.NET|url=https://www.faz.net/aktuell/feuilleton/debatten/tuerkei-die-folgen-des-rassismus-gegenueber-kurden-17473152.html|access-date=2022-01-17|issn=0174-4909|archive-date=January 18, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220118182355/https://www.faz.net/aktuell/feuilleton/debatten/tuerkei-die-folgen-des-rassismus-gegenueber-kurden-17473152.html|url-status=live}}</ref> which was a problem for the [[Kurds in Turkey|Kurdish population in Turkey]] as the w was a letter of the [[Kurdish alphabets|Kurdish alphabet]].<ref>{{Cite news|date=2013-09-27|title=Türkei: Erdogan will kurdische Schriftzeichen erlauben|language=de|work=[[Der Spiegel]]|url=https://www.spiegel.de/kultur/gesellschaft/tuerkei-erdogan-will-kurdische-schriftzeichen-erlauben-a-924943.html|access-date=2022-01-17|issn=2195-1349|archive-date=December 19, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211219021050/https://www.spiegel.de/kultur/gesellschaft/tuerkei-erdogan-will-kurdische-schriftzeichen-erlauben-a-924943.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The use of the letter w in the word [[Newroz as celebrated by Kurds|Newroz]], the Kurdish new year was forbidden<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|title=Refugee Review Tribunal Australia|url=https://www.refworld.org/pdfid/4b6fe30ad.pdf|url-status=live|access-date=January 17, 2022|archive-date=February 18, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220218163251/https://www.refworld.org/pdfid/4b6fe30ad.pdf}}</ref> and names which included the letter were not able to be used.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite news|last=Ataman|first=Ferda|date=2009-10-14|title=Zweijähriger Kurde wird wegen Vornamens staatenlos|language=de-DE|work=[[Der Tagesspiegel]]|url=https://www.tagesspiegel.de/berlin/buchstaben-als-politikum-zweijaehriger-kurde-wird-wegen-vornamens-staatenlos/1616212.html|access-date=2022-01-17|issn=1865-2263|archive-date=January 18, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220118184043/https://www.tagesspiegel.de/berlin/buchstaben-als-politikum-zweijaehriger-kurde-wird-wegen-vornamens-staatenlos/1616212.html|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2008, a court in Gaziantep reasoned the use of the letter w would incite civil unrest.<ref name=":2"/> Nevertheless, the w was used in water closets throughout Turkey.<ref name=":2"/> |
In Turkey the use of the w was banned between 1928 and 2013<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|title=Ban on Kurdish letters to be lifted with democracy package - Turkey News|url=https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/ban-on-kurdish-letters-to-be-lifted-with-democracy-package-55254|access-date=2022-01-17|website=Hürriyet Daily News|date=September 27, 2013 |language=en|archive-date=January 17, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220117020305/https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/ban-on-kurdish-letters-to-be-lifted-with-democracy-package-55254|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Othmann|first=Ronya|title=Kolumne "Import Export": Bei X, Q, W ins Gefängnis|language=de|work=FAZ.NET|url=https://www.faz.net/aktuell/feuilleton/debatten/tuerkei-die-folgen-des-rassismus-gegenueber-kurden-17473152.html|access-date=2022-01-17|issn=0174-4909|archive-date=January 18, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220118182355/https://www.faz.net/aktuell/feuilleton/debatten/tuerkei-die-folgen-des-rassismus-gegenueber-kurden-17473152.html|url-status=live}}</ref> which was a problem for the [[Kurds in Turkey|Kurdish population in Turkey]] as the w was a letter of the [[Kurdish alphabets|Kurdish alphabet]].<ref>{{Cite news|date=2013-09-27|title=Türkei: Erdogan will kurdische Schriftzeichen erlauben|language=de|work=[[Der Spiegel]]|url=https://www.spiegel.de/kultur/gesellschaft/tuerkei-erdogan-will-kurdische-schriftzeichen-erlauben-a-924943.html|access-date=2022-01-17|issn=2195-1349|archive-date=December 19, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211219021050/https://www.spiegel.de/kultur/gesellschaft/tuerkei-erdogan-will-kurdische-schriftzeichen-erlauben-a-924943.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The use of the letter w in the word [[Newroz as celebrated by Kurds|Newroz]], the Kurdish new year was forbidden<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|title=Refugee Review Tribunal Australia|url=https://www.refworld.org/pdfid/4b6fe30ad.pdf|url-status=live|access-date=January 17, 2022|archive-date=February 18, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220218163251/https://www.refworld.org/pdfid/4b6fe30ad.pdf}}</ref> and names which included the letter were not able to be used.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite news|last=Ataman|first=Ferda|date=2009-10-14|title=Zweijähriger Kurde wird wegen Vornamens staatenlos|language=de-DE|work=[[Der Tagesspiegel]]|url=https://www.tagesspiegel.de/berlin/buchstaben-als-politikum-zweijaehriger-kurde-wird-wegen-vornamens-staatenlos/1616212.html|access-date=2022-01-17|issn=1865-2263|archive-date=January 18, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220118184043/https://www.tagesspiegel.de/berlin/buchstaben-als-politikum-zweijaehriger-kurde-wird-wegen-vornamens-staatenlos/1616212.html|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2008, a court in Gaziantep reasoned the use of the letter w would incite civil unrest.<ref name=":2"/> Nevertheless, the w was used in water closets throughout Turkey.<ref name=":2"/> |
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In [[Vietnamese language|Vietnamese]], {{angbr|w}} is called ''{{lang|vi|vê đúp}}'', from the French ''{{lang|fr|double vé}}''. It is not included in the standard [[Vietnamese alphabet]], but it is often used as a substitute for ''qu-'' in [[literary dialect]] and very informal writing.<ref>{{cite news|title=Ngôn ngữ thời @ của teen|author=Nhật My|work=[[VnExpress]]|publisher=FPT Group|date=May 19, 2009|access-date=April 15, 2014|url=http://vnexpress.net/tin-tuc/thoi-su/ngon-ngu-thoi-cua-teen-2131526.html|language=vi|archive-date=April 16, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140416180245/http://vnexpress.net/tin-tuc/thoi-su/ngon-ngu-thoi-cua-teen-2131526.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|title=Viết tắt chữ Việt trong ngôn ngữ @|author=Trần Tư Bình|journal=Chim Việt Cành Nam|issue=53|date=November 30, 2013|url=http://vietpali.sourceforge.net/binh/VietTatChuVietTrongNgonNgu-ACong.htm|language=vi|access-date=April 15, 2014|archive-date=February 28, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140228190514/http://vietpali.sourceforge.net/binh/VietTatChuVietTrongNgonNgu-ACong.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> It's also commonly used for abbreviating ''Ư'' in formal documents, for example ''Trung Ương'' is abbreviated as TW<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://wcag.dongnai.gov.vn/_layouts/mobile/dispform.aspx?List=c55e1211-325f-4687-84c6-990157dfe5f2&View=c3f190ca-4f63-4476-aa51-7375d3286805&ID=4|title=Từ viết tắt: Trung ương|website=wcag.dongnai.gov.vn|access-date=July 4, 2017|archive-date=November 7, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107222502/http://wcag.dongnai.gov.vn/_layouts/mobile/dispform.aspx?List=c55e1211-325f-4687-84c6-990157dfe5f2&View=c3f190ca-4f63-4476-aa51-7375d3286805&ID=4|url-status=dead}}</ref> even in official documents and document ID number<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://dangcongsan.vn/he-thong-van-ban.html|title=Hệ thống văn bản|last=VIỆT NAM|first=ĐẢNG CỘNG SẢN|website=dangcongsan.vn|language=vi-VN|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170703231413/http://dangcongsan.vn/he-thong-van-ban.html|archive-date=July 3, 2017|url-status=dead|access-date=July 4, 2017}}</ref> |
In [[Vietnamese language|Vietnamese]], {{angbr|w}} is called ''{{lang|vi|vê đúp}}'', from the French ''{{lang|fr|double vé}}''. It is not included in the standard [[Vietnamese alphabet]], but it is often used as a substitute for ''qu-'' in [[literary dialect]] and very informal writing.<ref>{{cite news|title=Ngôn ngữ thời @ của teen|author=Nhật My|work=[[VnExpress]]|publisher=FPT Group|date=May 19, 2009|access-date=April 15, 2014|url=http://vnexpress.net/tin-tuc/thoi-su/ngon-ngu-thoi-cua-teen-2131526.html|language=vi|archive-date=April 16, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140416180245/http://vnexpress.net/tin-tuc/thoi-su/ngon-ngu-thoi-cua-teen-2131526.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|title=Viết tắt chữ Việt trong ngôn ngữ @|author=Trần Tư Bình|journal=Chim Việt Cành Nam|issue=53|date=November 30, 2013|url=http://vietpali.sourceforge.net/binh/VietTatChuVietTrongNgonNgu-ACong.htm|language=vi|access-date=April 15, 2014|archive-date=February 28, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140228190514/http://vietpali.sourceforge.net/binh/VietTatChuVietTrongNgonNgu-ACong.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> It's also commonly used for abbreviating ''Ư'' in formal documents, for example ''Trung Ương'' is abbreviated as TW<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://wcag.dongnai.gov.vn/_layouts/mobile/dispform.aspx?List=c55e1211-325f-4687-84c6-990157dfe5f2&View=c3f190ca-4f63-4476-aa51-7375d3286805&ID=4|title=Từ viết tắt: Trung ương|website=wcag.dongnai.gov.vn|access-date=July 4, 2017|archive-date=November 7, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107222502/http://wcag.dongnai.gov.vn/_layouts/mobile/dispform.aspx?List=c55e1211-325f-4687-84c6-990157dfe5f2&View=c3f190ca-4f63-4476-aa51-7375d3286805&ID=4|url-status=dead}}</ref> even in official documents and document ID number<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://dangcongsan.vn/he-thong-van-ban.html|title=Hệ thống văn bản|last=VIỆT NAM|first=ĐẢNG CỘNG SẢN|website=dangcongsan.vn|language=vi-VN|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170703231413/http://dangcongsan.vn/he-thong-van-ban.html|archive-date=July 3, 2017|url-status=dead|access-date=July 4, 2017}}</ref> |
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==Other uses== |
==Other uses== |
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{{main article|W (disambiguation)}} |
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[[File:William Caslon IV Five Lines Pica No. 2 Italic (cropped).jpg|thumb|This cursive 'w' was popular in calligraphy of the eighteenth century;<ref name="Flawed Typefaces" /><ref name="Berry Roundhand">{{cite web |last1=Berry |first1=John |title=A History: English round hand and 'The Universal Penman' |url=https://blog.typekit.com/alternate/a-history-english-round-hand-and-the-universal-penman/ |website=Typekit |publisher=Adobe Systems |access-date=May 19, 2020 |archive-date=October 3, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201003034145/https://blog.typekit.com/alternate/a-history-english-round-hand-and-the-universal-penman/ |url-status=live }}</ref> a late appearance in a font of c. 1816.<ref name="Caslon IV">{{cite book |last1=Caslon |first1=William IV |title=Untitled fragment of a specimen book of printing types, c. 1816 |date=1816 |publisher=William Caslon IV |location=London |url=https://archive.org/details/ldpd_11344964_000/page/n3/mode/2up |access-date=May 19, 2020}}</ref>]] |
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W is the symbol for the chemical element [[tungsten]], after its German (and alternative English) name, {{lang|de|Wolfram}}.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GmzxkvNhxnIC&q=w+symbol+for+tungsten&pg=PA289|title=The CRB Commodity Yearbook 2006 with CD-ROM|first=Commodity Research|last=Bureau|date=September 14, 2006|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|access-date=November 7, 2017|via=Google Books|isbn=9780470083949|archive-date=February 18, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220218163251/https://books.google.com/books?id=GmzxkvNhxnIC&q=w+symbol+for+tungsten&pg=PA289|url-status=live}}</ref> It is |
* W is the symbol for the chemical element [[tungsten]], after its German (and alternative English) name, {{lang|de|Wolfram}}.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GmzxkvNhxnIC&q=w+symbol+for+tungsten&pg=PA289|title=The CRB Commodity Yearbook 2006 with CD-ROM|first=Commodity Research|last=Bureau|date=September 14, 2006|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|access-date=November 7, 2017|via=Google Books|isbn=9780470083949|archive-date=February 18, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220218163251/https://books.google.com/books?id=GmzxkvNhxnIC&q=w+symbol+for+tungsten&pg=PA289|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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* It is the SI symbol for the [[watt]], the standard unit of power. It is also often used as a [[Variable (mathematics)|variable]] in mathematics, especially to represent a [[complex number]] or a [[Vector space|vector]]. |
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* Former U.S. president [[George W. Bush]] was given the nickname "Dubya" after the colloquial pronunciation of his middle initial in [[Texas]], where he spent much of his childhood. |
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* '''''W''''' stands for [[Work (physics)|Work]] in physics |
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In recent years, the letters ''L'' and ''W'' have become an [[internet meme]], respectively standing for ''loss'' and ''win.''<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/l-and-w|title=L and W|date=September 27, 2019 }}</ref> |
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* '''W''' is the symbol for "[[watt]]" in the [[International System of Units]] (SI) |
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== Name == |
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Double-u, whose name reflects stages in the letter's evolution when it was considered two of the same letter, a double U, is the only modern English letter whose name has more than one syllable.<ref group="in">However, "Izzard" was formerly a two-syllable pronunciation of the letter '''[[Z]]'''.</ref> It is also the only English letter whose name is not pronounced with any of the sounds that the letter typically makes in words, with the exception of [[H]] for some speakers. |
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Some speakers shorten the name "double u" into "dub-u" or just "dub"; for example, [[University of Wisconsin]], [[University of Washington]], [[University of Wyoming]], [[University of Waterloo]], [[University of the Western Cape]] and [[University of Western Australia]] are all known colloquially as "U Dub", and the automobile company [[Volkswagen]], abbreviated "VW", is sometimes pronounced "V-Dub".<ref>{{cite web|last=Volkswagen|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgEvy60bZYI| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060502184847/http://youtube.com/watch?v=qgEvy60bZYI| archive-date=2006-05-02|title=VW Unpimp – Drop it like its hot|website=YouTube|access-date=November 3, 2011}}</ref> The fact that many website URLs require a "[[www.]]" prefix has been influential in promoting these shortened pronunciations.{{citation needed|date=November 2021}} |
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In other [[Germanic languages]], including German (but not Dutch, in which it is pronounced wé), its name is similar to that of English [[V]]. In many languages, its name literally means "double v": Portuguese ''duplo vê'',<ref group="in">In [[Brazilian Portuguese]], it is ''[[wikt:dáblio#Portuguese|dáblio]]'', which is a loanword from the English ''double-u''.</ref> Spanish ''doble ve'' (though it can be spelled ''uve doble''),<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.taringa.net/posts/noticias/7792488/Real-Academia-Espanola-elimina-la-Ch-y-ll-del-alfabeto.html |title=Real Academia Española elimina la Ch y ll del alfabeto |publisher=Taringa! |date=November 5, 2010 |access-date=November 4, 2011 |archive-date=June 3, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130603013419/http://www.taringa.net/posts/noticias/7792488/Real-Academia-Espanola-elimina-la-Ch-y-ll-del-alfabeto.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref group="in">In [[Latin American Spanish]], it is ''doble ve'', similar [[wikt:W#Spanish|regional variations]] exist in other Spanish-speaking countries.</ref> French ''double vé'', [[Icelandic language|Icelandic]] ''tvöfalt vaff'', [[Czech language|Czech]] ''dvojité vé'', [[Estonian language|Estonian]] ''kaksisvee'', [[Finnish language|Finnish]] ''kaksois-vee'', etc. |
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Former U.S. president [[George W. Bush]] was given the nickname "Dubya" after the colloquial pronunciation of his middle initial in [[Texas]], where he spent much of his childhood. |
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{{anchor|Codes for computing}} |
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==Related characters== |
==Related characters== |
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*₩ : [[Won sign]], capital letter W with double stroke |
*₩ : [[Won sign]], capital letter W with double stroke |
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==Other representations== |
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==Computing codes== |
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{{anchor|Codes for computing}} |
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===Computing <span class="anchor" id="Computing codes"></span>=== |
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{{charmap |
{{charmap |
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| 0057 | 0077 | name1 = Latin Capital Letter W | name2 = Latin Small Letter W |
| 0057 | 0077 | FF37 | FF57 | name1 = Latin Capital Letter W | name2 = Latin Small Letter W | name3 = FULLWIDTH LATIN CAPITAL LETTER W | name4 = FULLWIDTH LATIN SMALL LETTERW |
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| map1 = [[EBCDIC]] family | map1char1 = E6 | map1char2 = A6 |
| map1 = [[EBCDIC]] family | map1char1 = E6 | map1char2 = A6 |
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| map2 = [[ASCII]] |
| map2 = [[ASCII]]{{refn|group=lower-alpha|Also for encodings based on ASCII, including the DOS, Windows, ISO-8859 and Macintosh families of encodings.}} | map2char1 = 57 | map2char2 = 77 |
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}} |
}} |
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{{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} |
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: <sup>1</sup> {{midsize|Also for encodings based on ASCII, including the DOS, Windows, ISO-8859 and Macintosh families of encodings.}} |
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==Other |
===Other=== |
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{{Letter other reps |
{{Letter other reps |
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|NATO=Whiskey |
|NATO=Whiskey |
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*[[Voiced labio-velar approximant]] |
*[[Voiced labio-velar approximant]] |
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*[[Wh (digraph)]] |
*[[Wh (digraph)]] |
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* '''''W''''' stands for [[Work (physics)|Work]] in physics |
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* '''W''' is the symbol for "[[watt]]" in the [[International System of Units]] (SI) |
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==References== |
==References== |
W | |||||
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W w | |||||
Usage | |||||
Writing system | Latin script | ||||
Type | Alphabetic and Logographic | ||||
Phonetic usage | [w] [v] [β] [u] [uː] [ʊ] [ɔ] [ʋ] [ʕʷ] [ʙ] [◌ʷ] [ɣ] [f] | ||||
Unicode codepoint | U+0057, U+0077 | ||||
Alphabetical position | 23 | ||||
History | |||||
Development |
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Time period | ~600 to present | ||||
Descendants | • ʍ • ɯ ɰ • ₩ | ||||
Sisters | F U Ѵ У Ў Ұ Ү ו و ܘ וּ וֹ ࠅ 𐎆 𐡅 ወ વ ૂ ુ उ | ||||
Other | |||||
Other letters commonly used with | w(x) | ||||
Writing direction | Left-to-Right | ||||
This article contains phonetic transcriptions in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). For an introductory guide on IPA symbols, see Help:IPA. For the distinction between [ ], / / and ⟨ ⟩, see IPA § Brackets and transcription delimiters. |
ISO basic Latin alphabet |
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AaBbCcDdEeFfGgHhIiJjKkLlMmNnOoPpQqRrSsTtUuVvWwXxYyZz |
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W, or w, is the twenty-third letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is double-u,[in 1] plural double-ues.[1][2]
Double-u, whose name reflects stages in the letter's evolution when it was considered two of the same letter, a double U, is the only modern English letter whose name has more than one syllable.[in 2] It is also the only English letter whose name is not pronounced with any of the sounds that the letter typically makes in words, with the exception of H for some speakers.
Some speakers shorten the name "double u" into "dub-u" or just "dub"; for example, University of Wisconsin, University of Washington, University of Wyoming, University of Waterloo, University of the Western Cape and University of Western Australia are all known colloquially as "U Dub", and the automobile company Volkswagen, abbreviated "VW", is sometimes pronounced "V-Dub".[3] The fact that many website URLs require a "www." prefix has been influential in promoting these shortened pronunciations.[citation needed]
In other West Germanic languages, its name is monosyllabic: German We /veː/, Dutch wee /ʋeː/. In many languages, its name literally means "double v": Portuguese duplo vê,[in 3] Spanish doble ve (though it can be spelled uve doble),[4][in 4] French double vé, Icelandic tvöfalt vaff, Czech dvojité vé, Estonian kaksisvee, Finnish kaksois-vee, etc.
Proto-Sinaitic | Phoenician Waw |
Western Greek Upsilon |
Latin V |
Latin W |
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The classical Latin alphabet, from which the modern European alphabets derived, did not have the "W" character. The "W" sounds were represented by the Latin letter "V" (at the time, not yet distinct from "U").
The sounds /w/ (spelled ⟨V⟩) and /b/ (spelled ⟨B⟩) of Classical Latin developed into the voiced bilabial fricative /β/ between vowelsinEarly Medieval Latin. Therefore, ⟨V⟩ no longer adequately represented the voiced labial-velar approximant sound /w/ofGermanic phonology.
The Germanic /w/ phoneme was, therefore, written as ⟨VV⟩or⟨uu⟩ (⟨u⟩ and ⟨v⟩ becoming distinct only by the Early Modern period) by the earliest writers of Old English and Old High German, in the 7th or 8th centuries.[8] Gothic (not Latin-based), by contrast, had simply used a letter based on the Greek Υ for the same sound in the 4th century. The digraph ⟨VV⟩/⟨uu⟩ was also used in Medieval Latin to represent Germanic names, including Gothic ones like Wamba.
It is from this ⟨uu⟩ digraph that the modern name "double U" derives. The digraph was commonly used in the spelling of Old High German but only in the earliest texts in Old English, where the /w/ sound soon came to be represented by borrowing the rune ⟨ᚹ⟩, adapted as the Latin letter wynn: ⟨ƿ⟩. In early Middle English, following the 11th-century Norman Conquest, ⟨uu⟩ regained popularity; by 1300, it had taken wynn's place in common use.
Scribal realisation of the digraph could look like a pair of Vs whose branches crossed in the middle: both forms (separate and crossed) appear, for instance, in the "running text" (in Latin) of the Bayeux tapestry in proper names such as EDVVARDVS and VVILLELMVS (or the same with crossed Vs). Another realisation (common in roundhand, kurrent and blackletter) takes the form of an ⟨n⟩ whose rightmost branch curved around, as in a cursive ⟨v⟩ (viz. )[5][6] It was used up to the nineteenth century in Britain and continues to be familiar in Germany.[in 5]
Thus, the shift from the digraph ⟨VV⟩ to the distinct ligature ⟨W⟩ was gradual and was only apparent in abecedaria, explicit listings of all individual letters. It was probably considered a separate letter by the 14th century in both Middle English and Middle German orthography. However, it remained an outsider, not really considered part of the Latin alphabet proper, as expressed by Valentin Ickelshamer in the 16th century, who complained that:
Poor w is so infamous and unknown that many barely know either its name or its shape, not those who aspire to being Latinists, as they have no need of it, nor do the Germans, not even the schoolmasters, know what to do with it or how to call it; some call it we, [... others] call it uu, [...] the Swabians call it auwawau[9]
InMiddle High German (and possibly already in late Old High German), the West Germanic phoneme /w/ became realized as [v]; this is why, today, the German ⟨w⟩ represents that sound.
Orthography | Phonemes |
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Standard Chinese (Pinyin) | /w/ |
Cornish | /ʊ/ (archaic), /w/ |
Dutch | /ʋ/ |
English | /w/ |
German | /v/ |
Irish | /w/ |
Indonesian | /w/ |
Japanese (Hepburn) | /w/ |
Kashubian | /v/ |
Kokborok | /ɔ/ |
Kurdish | /w/ |
Low German | /ʋ/ |
Lower Sorbian | /v/ |
North Frisian | /v/ |
Old Prussian | /w/ (archaic) |
Polish | /v/ |
Saterlandic | /v/ |
Turkmen | /β/ |
Upper Sorbian | /β/ |
Walloon | /w/ |
Welsh | /ʊ/, /w/ |
West Frisian | /v/, /w/ |
Wymysorys | /v/ |
Zhuang | /ɯ/ |
English uses ⟨w⟩ to represent /w/. There are also a number of words beginning with a written ⟨w⟩ that is silent in most dialects before a (pronounced) ⟨r⟩, remaining from usage in Old English in which the ⟨w⟩ was pronounced: wreak, wrap, wreck, wrench, wroth, wrinkle, etc. Certain dialects of Scottish English still distinguish this digraph. ⟨w⟩ represents a vowel sound, /oʊ/, in the word pwn, and in the Welsh loanwords cwm and crwth it retains the Welsh pronunciation, /ʊ/. ⟨W⟩ is also used in digraphs: ⟨aw⟩ /ɔː/, ⟨ew⟩ /(j)uː/, ⟨ow⟩ /aʊ, oʊ/, wherein it is usually an orthographic allographof⟨u⟩ in final positions. It is the fifteenth most frequently used letter in the English language, with a frequency of about 2.56% in words.
In Europe languages with ⟨w⟩ in native words are in a central-western European zone between Cornwall and Poland: English, German, Low German, Dutch, Frisian, Welsh, Cornish, Breton, Walloon, Polish, Kashubian, Sorbian, Wymysorys, Resian and Scandinavian dialects. German, Polish, Wymysorys and Kashubian use it for the voiced labiodental fricative /v/ (with Polish, related Kashubian and Wymysorys using Ł for /w/, except in conservative and some eastern Polish speech, where Ł still represents the dark L sound.), and Dutch uses it for /ʋ/. Unlike its use in other languages, the letter is used in Welsh and Cornish to represent the vowel /u/ as well as the related approximant consonant /w/.
The following languages historically used ⟨w⟩ for /v/ in native words, but later replaced it by ⟨v⟩: Swedish, Finnish, Czech, Slovak, Latvian, Lithuanian, Estonian, Ukrainian Łatynka and Belarusian Łacinka. It is also used in modern systems of Romanization of Belarusian for the letter ⟨ў⟩, for example in the BGN/PCGN[10] system, in contrast to the letter ⟨ŭ⟩, which is used in the Instruction on transliteration of Belarusian geographical names with letters of Latin script.
In Swedish and Finnish, traces of this old usage may still be found in proper names. In Hungarian remains in some aristocratic surnames, e.g. Wesselényi.
Modern German dialects generally have only [v]or[ʋ] for West Germanic /w/, but [w]or[β̞] is still heard allophonically for ⟨w⟩, especially in the clusters ⟨schw⟩, ⟨zw⟩, and ⟨qu⟩. Some Bavarian dialects preserve a "light" initial [w], such as in wuoz (Standard German weiß [vaɪs] '[I] know'). The Classical Latin [β] is heard in the Southern German greeting Servus ('hello' or 'goodbye').
InDutch, ⟨w⟩ became a labiodental approximant /ʋ/ (with the exception of words with -⟨eeuw⟩, which have /eːβ/, or other diphthongs containing -⟨uw⟩). In many Dutch-speaking areas, such as Flanders and Suriname, the /β/ pronunciation (or in some areas a /ɥ/ pronunciation, e.g. Belgian-Dutch water /'ɥa:tər/ "water", wit /ɥɪt/ "white", eeuw /e:ɥ/ "century", etc.) is used at all times.
InFinnish, ⟨w⟩ is sometimes seen as a variant of ⟨v⟩ and not a separate letter, but it is a part of official alphabet. It is, however, recognized and maintained in the spelling of some old names, reflecting an earlier German spelling standard, and in some modern loan words. In all cases, it is pronounced /ʋ/. The first edition of the Kalevala had its title spelled Kalewala.
InDanish, Norwegian and Swedish, ⟨w⟩ is named double-v and not double-u. In these languages, the letter only exists in old names, loanwords and foreign words. (Foreign words are distinguished from loanwords by having a significantly lower level of integration in the language.) It is usually pronounced /v/, but in some words of English origin it may be pronounced /w/.[11][12] The letter was officially introduced in the Danish and Swedish alphabets as late as 1980 and 2006, respectively, despite having been in use for much longer. It had been recognized since the conception of modern Norwegian, with the earliest official orthography rules of 1907.[13] ⟨W⟩ was earlier seen as a variant of ⟨v⟩, and ⟨w⟩ as a letter (double-v) is still commonly replaced by ⟨v⟩ in speech (e.g. WC being pronounced as VC, www as VVV, WHO as VHO, etc.) The two letters were sorted as equals before ⟨w⟩ was officially recognized, and that practice is still recommended when sorting names in Sweden.[14] In modern slang, some native speakers may pronounce ⟨w⟩ more closely to the origin of the loanword than the official /v/ pronunciation.
Multiple dialects of Swedish and Danish use the sound however. In Denmark notably in Jutland, where the northern half use it extensively in traditional dialect, and multiple places in Sweden. It is used in southern Swedish, for example in Halland where the words "wesp" (wisp) and "wann" (water) are traditionally used.[15] In northern and western Sweden there are also dialects with /w/. Elfdalian is a good example, which is one of many dialects where the Old Norse difference between v (/w/) and f (/v/or/f/) is preserved. Thus "warg" from Old Norse "vargr", but『åvå』from Old Norse "hafa".
In the alphabets of most modern Romance languages, ⟨w⟩ is used mostly in foreign names and words recently borrowed (Italian il watt, Spanish el kiwi). In Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese, [w] is a non-syllabic variant of /u/, spelled ⟨u⟩. In Italian, while the letter ⟨w⟩ is not considered part of the standard Italian alphabet, the character is often used in place of Viva (hooray for...), generally in the form in which the branches of the Vs cross in the middle, at least in handwriting (in fact it could be considered a monogram).[16] The same symbol written upside down indicates abbasso (down with...). In French, ⟨w⟩ is also used mostly in foreign names and words recently borrowed such as wagonorweek(-)end, but in the first case it is pronounced [v] (because of its German origin; except in Belgium, where it is pronounced [w]) and in the second [w]. In most northern French dialects the former ⟨w⟩ turned finally to ⟨v⟩, but still exists as a remnant in the place-names of Romance Flanders, Picardie, Artois, Champagne, Romance Lorraine and sometimes elsewhere (Normandy, Île-de-France), and in the surnames from the same regions. Walloon as it sounds conserves the ⟨w⟩ pronounced [w]. The digraph ⟨ou⟩ is used to render ⟨w⟩ in rare French words such as ouest "west" and to spell Arabic names transliterated -wi in English, but -oui in French (compare Arabic surname Badawi / Badaoui). In all these languages, as in Scandinavian languages mentioned above, the letter is named "double v" (French /dubləve/, Spanish /'dɔble 'uβe/) though in Belgium the name /we/ is also used.
InIndonesian, the letter "w" is called wé. The letter names in Indonesian are always the same with the sounds they produce, especially the consonants.
The Japanese language uses "W", pronounced daburu, as an ideogram meaning "double".[17] It is also used in internet slang to indicate laughter (like LOL), derived from the word warau (笑う, meaning "to laugh").
In Italian, while the letter ⟨w⟩ is not considered part of the standard Italian alphabet, the character is often used in place of Viva (hooray for...), generally in the form in which the branches of the Vs cross in the middle, at least in handwriting (in fact it could be considered a monogram).[16] The same symbol written upside down indicates abbasso (down with...)
In the Kokborok language, ⟨w⟩ represents the open-mid back rounded vowel /ɔ/.
In Turkey the use of the w was banned between 1928 and 2013[18][19] which was a problem for the Kurdish population in Turkey as the w was a letter of the Kurdish alphabet.[20] The use of the letter w in the word Newroz, the Kurdish new year was forbidden[21] and names which included the letter were not able to be used.[18][22] In 2008, a court in Gaziantep reasoned the use of the letter w would incite civil unrest.[21] Nevertheless, the w was used in water closets throughout Turkey.[21]
InVietnamese, ⟨w⟩ is called vê đúp, from the French double vé. It is not included in the standard Vietnamese alphabet, but it is often used as a substitute for qu-inliterary dialect and very informal writing.[23][24] It's also commonly used for abbreviating Ư in formal documents, for example Trung Ương is abbreviated as TW[25] even in official documents and document ID number[26]
"W" is the 24th letter in the Modern Filipino Alphabet and has its English name. However, in the old Filipino alphabet, Abakada, it was the 19th letter and had the name "wah".[is that 'h' a glottal stop?][27]
InWasho, lower-case ⟨w⟩ represents a typical /w/ sound, while upper-case ⟨W⟩ represents a voiceless w sound, like the difference between English weather and whether for those who maintain the distinction.
In the International Phonetic Alphabet, ⟨w⟩ is used for the voiced labial-velar approximant.
Preview | W | w | W | w | ||||
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Unicode name | LATIN CAPITAL LETTER W | LATIN SMALL LETTER W | FULLWIDTH LATIN CAPITAL LETTER W | FULLWIDTH LATIN SMALL LETTER W | ||||
Encodings | decimal | hex | dec | hex | dec | hex | dec | hex |
Unicode | 87 | U+0057 | 119 | U+0077 | 65335 | U+FF37 | 65367 | U+FF57 |
UTF-8 | 87 | 57 | 119 | 77 | 239 188 183 | EF BC B7 | 239 189 151 | EF BD 97 |
Numeric character reference | W |
W |
w |
w |
W |
W |
w |
w |
EBCDIC family | 230 | E6 | 166 | A6 | ||||
ASCII[a] | 87 | 57 | 119 | 77 |
NATO phonetic | Morse code |
Whiskey |
▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ⓘ |
Signal flag | Flag semaphore | American manual alphabet (ASL fingerspelling) | British manual alphabet (BSL fingerspelling) | Braille dots-2456 Unified English Braille |
Informational notes
Citations
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