Re: vulgar Latin?

From: g
Message: 21420
Date: 2003-05-01

>I never read that this Latin word was written with
>semivowel w, but allways with sonorizedfricative v, not even in
>Clasic Latin.

Of course, Romans didn't write W. But their V stood for [v],
[u], and [w]? Three sounds graphically represented by one font.

>e.g. Ave Caesar, morituri te salutant!

actually AVE CAESAR MORITVRI TE SALVTANT.

Moreover, the confusion between [u, w] and [v] was almost rampant
until way into the 2nd millennium after Christ's birth. Just have a
look at original medieval texts in Latin throughout Europe (lots of
"unde", "vir", "ultra" were spelled "vnde", "uir", "vltra"; and "uu"
for (the English&OldGerman) "w". Uulfila = Wulfila).

>Konushevci

George