The U in English: A Historical Perspective

Abstract

This study investigates the relationship between the grapheme u and the sound /ju:/ by studying the diachrony of the two entities and their intertwined development, based upon the fundamental question of why the two eventually became identical in light of the taxing qualities inherent in the glide /j/ as a constituent of English phonology. The study establishes that a mixture of foreign influences in the form of the French /y/ and functional factors encompassing both perception and production influenced their development since the 15th century in the history of English. Considering the idiosyncratic status of /ju:/ within Present Day English which is due to a confluence of historical and functional factors, /ju:/ rightly deserves a place in the English inventory of diphthongs.