Jack wrote:
> Can someone explain why the letter U in some old carvings as"V" and O as
> "o"?
>
> Example would be something like "VNIVERSITY" and "AMAZoN".
Straight lines are easier to carve than curves.
I'm not sure about the small "o". Perhaps there was a
small "o" tool that made the entire letter, a smaller one
would not have to be hit as hard to make the letter.
--
FF
Jack wrote:
> Can someone explain why the letter U in some old carvings as"V" and O as
> "o"?
>
> Example would be something like "VNIVERSITY" and "AMAZoN".
It could be following ancient Latin convention, in whose alphabet "U"
is a medieval invention. Ancient Latin inscriptions have V instead, and
most traditional (epigraphic) inscriptions follow suit.
The smaller case "o" is something else. You might find a reduction in
the size of a particular letter in an ancient inscription, but seldom
for just the "o". I have seen examples of such in manuscripts, and the
reasons are (usually) to correct a mistake, but sometimes to affect a
peculiar (typeface, not literary) style, and sometimes to conserve
space.
H.
"Jack" <n> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> Can someone explain why the letter U in some old carvings as"V" and O as
> "o"?
>
> Example would be something like "VNIVERSITY" and "AMAZoN".
>
>
Latin. Custom had V as U sound in classic time.
http://www.omniglot.com/writing/latin2.htm
With Greek-based stuff, like iconography, you see a lot of the tilde ~ to
indicate letters omitted. Just the way they did things.
"Dave W" <[email protected]> wrote in
news:[email protected]:
> The simple answer is that the romans had no U in their alphabet.
> Classic lettering in Roman font using english words therefore
> sometimes substitute the V for the U.
Correct - and it's particularly common when some place wants
to look "learned" that they use the Latin form, hence "VNIVERSITY".
It also is the reason why "double u" is shaped VV.
(the Romans also had no "J", using "I" instead).
John
<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> Jack wrote:
>> Can someone explain why the letter U in some old carvings as"V" and O as
>> "o"?
>>
>> Example would be something like "VNIVERSITY" and "AMAZoN".
>
> Straight lines are easier to carve than curves.
>
S, R,P,C, etc. has curves. Must be something else, perhaps some sort of
convention at the time.
> I'm not sure about the small "o". Perhaps there was a
> small "o" tool that made the entire letter, a smaller one
> would not have to be hit as hard to make the letter.
>
Some Os are in upper case and others in lower case. Couldn't figure what the
rules were in using upper or lower cases for those Os. Take a look at some
old carvings in some old instatutional buildings then you know what I mean.
> --
>
> FF
>