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Vend (letter)
Vend (letter)
Vend (letter)
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Ꝩ
Ꝩ ꝩ
Writing cursive forms of Ꝩ
Usage
Writing systemLatin script
TypeAlphabetic and Logographic
Language of originOld Norse language
Sound values[u]
[v]
[w]
/vɛnd/
In UnicodeU+A768, U+A769
History
Development
ᚹ
Time period~1100 to ~1200
DescendantsNone
SistersǷ ƿ
Transliterationsu, v, w
Other
Associated graphsu, v, w
Writing directionLeft-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.

Vend (Ꝩ, ꝩ) is a letter of Old Norse. It was used to represent the sounds /u/, /v/, and /w/.[citation needed]

It was related to and probably derived from the Old English letter Wynn of the Runic alphabet (ᚹ) and later the Latin alphabet (Ƿ ƿ), except that the bowl was open on the top, not being connected to the stem, which made it somewhat resemble a letter Y. It was eventually replaced with v or u for most writings.

Vend in Unicode and HTML entities

[edit]

The upper and lowercase Vend were standardized in April 2008 as part of the Latin Extended-D block of Unicode 5.1[1]

Character information
Preview Ꝩ ꝩ
Unicode name LATIN CAPITAL LETTER VEND LATIN SMALL LETTER VEND
Encodings decimal hex dec hex
Unicode 42856 U+A768 42857 U+A769
UTF-8 234 157 168 EA 9D A8 234 157 169 EA 9D A9
Numeric character reference Ꝩ Ꝩ ꝩ ꝩ

References

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Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Vend (letter)

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Vend (uppercase Ꝩ, lowercase ꝩ) is a letter of the used in during the medieval period, primarily from the 12th to 14th centuries, to represent the sounds /u/, /v/, and /w/. Derived from the letter wynn (Ƿ, ƿ), which originated in the runic letter ᚹ (*wunjō), vend was adapted into Nordic manuscripts around the 11th century as the rune ᚢ replaced ᚹ for the /u/ sound. The name "vend" itself is an term for the letter, cognate with the Anglo-Saxon "wynn" and documented in classical Icelandic grammars as a neuter noun denoting this character. In pronunciation, it denoted the labiodental in most positions, but bilabial word-initially or before rounded vowels, reflecting the phonetic shifts in . The letter's form features a looped shape open at the top—unlike the closed —often with a supradot to distinguish it from y in scribal hands, and it appears in key texts like sagas and legal codices from and . Vend's adoption bridged runic and Latin traditions during , when scribes incorporated Anglo-Saxon influences into Nordic writing systems, but it fell out of use by the as standardized v and u prevailed. Today, it survives in as U+A768 (capital) and U+A769 (small), facilitating modern editions of medieval manuscripts.

History and Origin

Development from Wynn

The letter (⟨Ƿ⟩, ⟨ƿ⟩), derived from the rune ᚹ representing the sound /w/, originated in the runic futhorc alphabet and was incorporated into manuscripts by the to denote the labial approximant, distinguishing it from the Latin ⟨u⟩ or ⟨v⟩ used for vowels or fricatives. This rune-based form, named after the word for "" (wynn), reflected the ' adaptation of Germanic runic traditions into the following , providing a dedicated for the /w/ absent in standard . As transmitted to Scandinavian scribes, its angular, P-like form underwent graphical softening into a more rounded, open-topped known as vend (⟨Ꝩ⟩, ⟨ꝩ⟩), resembling a V with an extended , to better suit insular styles and distinguish it from the closed Latin ⟨v⟩. This evolution occurred during the , when Anglo-Saxon missionaries and traders facilitated the exchange of orthographic practices, introducing as a model for handling similar sounds in Nordic languages, resulting in vend's emergence as a localized . Earliest evidence of vend-like forms appears in 12th-century Icelandic codices, such as fragments adapting English-derived letters for vernacular texts, where scribes modified wynn's structure to align with emerging Nordic conventions while preserving its runic heritage. These adaptations highlight vend's role as a bridge between Anglo-Saxon and medieval Nordic scribal traditions, with the rounded form facilitating smoother integration into Carolingian minuscule influences prevalent in the region by that era.

Adoption in Old Norse Script

The adoption of the letter Vend into Old Norse script took place during the 11th century, as the Latin alphabet gradually supplanted runic writing amid the Christianization of Scandinavia, which began around 1000 CE and accelerated the development of vernacular literacy. Derived ultimately from the Anglo-Saxon wynn, Vend was incorporated into hybrid Carolingian-Insular scripts prevalent in Nordic manuscript production, enabling scribes to adapt the Latin system for local phonetic needs. This integration marked a transitional phase where Latin letters coexisted with runes. In Old Icelandic and Old manuscripts, Vend appeared as a distinct for the phonemes /v/ or /u/, partially replacing the runic (⟨ᚢ⟩) for /u/ and assuming some functions of for /w/ in the emerging Latin . Its use is attested in texts from around 1100 CE onward, reflecting the script's evolution during a period of cultural and religious transformation. By the early , Vend featured in standardized religious works, such as those akin to the Icelandic Homily Book (c. 1200), where it contributed to consistent representation of Norse sounds in Latin-based writing. Vend's prominence was short-lived, persisting primarily in western Norse contexts until approximately 1300 CE, after which it declined in favor of standard Latin letters and digraphs like ⟨vv⟩, as Carolingian script norms solidified across Scandinavia, ultimately leading to Vend's obsolescence by the 14th century.

Phonetic and Orthographic Usage

Sounds Represented

The letter Vend (Ꝩ, ꝩ), derived from the Old English Wynn, was used in Old Norse orthography for the labial consonant phoneme /w/—a semi-vowel approximant etymologically similar to the "w" in English "water"—which had allophones (word-initially or before rounded vowels) and (medially or after certain consonants). This usage aligned with Common Norse phonology, where /w/ functioned as a glide often alliterating with vowels in poetic traditions and gradually shifted toward a fricative during the Old Norse period (ca. 9th–14th centuries), with variation evident in 12th–14th century manuscripts. Due to its polyvalent nature, Vend also represented the vowel /u/ in various contexts, including native and loanwords, as part of scribal practices to adapt the Latin alphabet. This versatility arose from the limited script, with context disambiguating uses without new symbols. In contrast to the standard Latin ⟨V⟩, which covered both consonantal and vocalic uses but did not distinguish the Norse /w/ , Vend addressed these phonological needs in the adapted script.

Examples in Old Norse Texts

In the Codex Wormianus (AM 242 fol., c. 1350), a key manuscript of the and grammatical treatises, the Vend letter (ꝩ) appears in words representing the /w/ and /u/ , reflecting its role in Old Icelandic orthography for labial sounds. For instance, it is used in forms of "vindr" (wind, initial ) and "ull" (wool, /u/ or medial in variants). Word-specific applications illustrate Vend's polyvalency, such as for /w/ in initial positions (e.g., "vindr"), medial in words like "svefn" (), and /u/ in "ull". Such instances in and poetic sections aided representation of labiovelar distinctions from earlier systems. Vend's application helped reduce orthographic ambiguity in sagas and poetry, especially in where labial sounds were crucial. For example, it distinguished initial /w/ in "vindr" from vowel-initial forms, ensuring metrical clarity in Eddic compositions. This utility integrated Vend into scribal practices for phonetic fidelity. Evidence of Vend's decline appears in post-1300 manuscripts, such as the Flateyjarbók (GKS 1005 fol., c. 1387–1394), where it is largely replaced by ⟨u⟩ or ⟨v⟩, though hybrid forms persist in earlier folios. This shift reflects Latin alphabet standardization in late medieval Iceland, phasing out specialized letters by the 15th century.

Graphical Representation

Forms and Variants

The uppercase form of Vend, Ꝩ, is open at the top, derived from the Old English wynn (Ƿ, ƿ) in medieval Nordic scripts. The lowercase counterpart, ꝩ, is similar but smaller, typically with a descender. Vend's form, with its open top and often a supradot above to distinguish it from y, sets it apart as a distinct grapheme in Insular-derived handwriting. Unlike Wynn's closed loop, Vend features an open top. Diacritic variants with an exist in some modern fonts but were not used in original . In medieval type design, Vend's height matched that of the letter V for integration in Gothic and fonts. Manuscript depictions show minor graphical differences, such as varying stroke angles, but these forms remained consistent across traditions.

Manuscript Appearances

Vend appears in various forms in Norwegian and Icelandic manuscripts, reflecting traditions imported from and adapted for . For example, it is found in the 13th-century Codex Wormianus (AM 242 fol.). Scribal hands influenced variations, with English-trained scribes using Wynn-derived forms, particularly in Norwegian texts. Local Norse scribes integrated Vend alongside (ð) and thorn (þ) for legibility in production. Preservation challenges in manuscripts, such as fading ink and parchment degradation, can obscure Vend's forms in digitized reproductions from collections like the Arnamagnæan Institute, often requiring ultraviolet imaging for analysis.

Encoding and Modern Representation

Unicode Assignment

The Vend letter is encoded in the Standard with distinct code points for its uppercase and lowercase forms. The uppercase form is assigned to U+A768, named LATIN CAPITAL LETTER VEND and represented by the glyph Ꝩ, while the lowercase form is at U+A769, named LATIN SMALL LETTER VEND and represented by ꝩ. These characters were added in Unicode version 5.1, released in April 2008. Both code points reside in the block (U+A720 to U+A7FF), which accommodates additional Latin characters primarily for medievalist, phonetic, and transcription purposes. Within this block, Vend is positioned alongside other medieval letters, such as insular variants (e.g., U+A77D for LATIN CAPITAL LETTER ) and thorn-related forms (e.g., U+A766 for LATIN CAPITAL LETTER THORN WITH STROKE THROUGH DESCENDER). This placement reflects Vend's role in paleographic representations of and related scripts. The inclusion of Vend in Unicode stemmed from a formal proposal submitted by the Medieval Unicode Font Initiative (MUFI), a collaborative effort among scholars to standardize encoding for characters. The proposal, documented as ISO/IEC JTC1/SC2/WG2 N3027 (L2/06-027) and dated January 30, 2006, advocated for approximately 100 characters to facilitate accurate digital transcription of medieval manuscripts, including Vend for its use in Nordic paleography. MUFI's recommendation emphasized Vend's distinct form derived from the wynn, justifying its separate encoding to support scholarly editing without reliance on . Vend characters are encoded as with no or compatibility decompositions, distinguishing them from composite letters that may break into base characters plus diacritics. This stability ensures reliable representation in digital texts, as they belong to the Uppercase Letter (Lu) and Lowercase Letter (Ll) categories without normalization mappings.

Digital Fonts and Display

The digital representation of the Vend letter (Ꝩ, ꝩ) relies on specialized fonts tailored for historical scripts, as its encoding in the block requires explicit glyph support for accurate rendering. Junicode, an open-source font developed by Peter S. Baker specifically for medievalists, provides comprehensive coverage of Vend alongside other Anglo-Saxon and characters, making it a standard choice for scholarly work. Google's Noto Sans font family incorporated Vend glyphs in 2018 as part of its expansion to support ancient writing systems, ensuring consistent display across diverse linguistic contexts. Display challenges persist in systems or applications without dedicated font support, where the Vend glyph frequently falls back to the visually approximate Latin letter W (⟨W⟩), which can obscure its distinct phonetic role in texts. Additionally, adjustments between Vend and adjacent characters like thorn (⟨þ⟩) may prove inconsistent in standard engines, as these rare historical forms lack predefined metric pairs in most font tables, leading to uneven spacing in rendered output. In modern applications, Vend appears in digital editions of Old Norse sagas, such as those produced by the Menota (Medieval Nordic Text Archive) project, which uses TEI-compliant XML encoding and MUFI (Medieval Unicode Font Initiative) fonts to faithfully reproduce manuscript transcriptions. It also supports academic typesetting in and philological studies, enabling precise reproduction of medieval Icelandic and Norwegian texts in publications and online databases. Revival efforts since 2010 have focused on integrating Vend into open-source font projects to facilitate the digitization of archives, with updates to Junicode and Sans exemplifying contributions to accessible online resources for .
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