Eli5 : Why is q always followed by u in a word?
In: 1555
The inventors of our alphabet were the Romans and spoke Latin. Words with “qu” come from Latin.
Romans got their alphabet from an extinct people called the Etruscans. The Etruscans invented a letter that was specifically for the “k” sound that’s before u. We think it’s because there was a slight difference in prononciation with “ka” for example.
Just like in English, Th can be seen as a variation of T.
The Romans took the Etruscan alphabet and that q before u rule with them. But in Latin, that happened to be a common grouping of letters because the sound “kw” was common. Hence “que” in Spanish or French, from Latin “quod” or “quem”.
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