this post was submitted on 21 Jul 2024
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[–] MrAlternateTape@lemm.ee 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.

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

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

[–] __dev@lemmy.world 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

[–] Halosheep@lemm.ee 4 points 4 months ago

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

[–] ytg@sopuli.xyz 3 points 4 months ago

U and V used to be the same letter

[–] MeThisGuy@feddit.nl 8 points 4 months ago (5 children)
[–] gentooer@programming.dev 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.

[–] zarlin@lemmy.world 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".

[–] Obi@sopuli.xyz 4 points 4 months ago

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

[–] MrAlternateTape@lemm.ee 3 points 4 months ago (1 children)
[–] CyberTailor@lemmy.world 2 points 4 months ago (1 children)
[–] MrAlternateTape@lemm.ee 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.

[–] MeThisGuy@feddit.nl 1 points 4 months ago (2 children)
[–] Enkrod@feddit.org 1 points 4 months ago

Iks Üpsilon Zett

[–] Enkrod@feddit.org 2 points 4 months ago
[–] aulin@lemmy.world 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.