Why is the letter J pronounced differently in English, French, Spanish and German?

lanfranco

An expert in linguistics could explain this much better than I, but partly because J was the last letter to be added to the Latin alphabet, it came to be a convenient way to represent different sounds in different languages. This site offers some information: http://www.answers.com/topic/j Aug 07 05, 9:43 AM

JoshCaleb12

Don't forget Finnish! It's pronounced like a "Y" in Finnish! Aug 07 05, 10:06 AM

bloomsby

Why expect a letter to represent the same sound in those languages, anyway? After all, in English the letter "a" represents quite range of different sounds. The exact number depends on the speaker's accent. Aug 07 05, 11:33 AM

Flynn_17

J is pronounced like a Y in a lot of languages, including Swedish, German, and Maltese, so Finnish really is no different in that mix. In German, however, a Y is pronounced like 'oo', so 'typ' (the word for 'a type'), is pronounced as 'toop'. Of course, the difficult with German comes when you try to pronounce 'Psychologisch'... Aug 07 05, 1:01 PM

Arpeggionist

So how did Charles V pronounce his Js? Aug 07 05, 1:35 PM

bloomsby

Spot on, Arp! :) Aug 07 05, 2:56 PM

gmackematix

I gather Esperanto add it at the end of words to make plurals. Aug 07 05, 4:36 PM

lanfranco

Yep. Esperanto nouns end in "o." To create a nominative plural, just add "j." Birdo = bird Birdoj = birds (the ending is pronounced "oy".) http://www.answers.com/topic/esperanto-grammar Aug 07 05, 5:49 PM

peasypod

Considering my birth certificate has a J in place where I put an I, I'm surprised I have the name I do, since the Italians don't have K or J in their alphabet... Ever heard an Italian say 'Blue Jeans'? ;) Aug 07 05, 6:42 PM

lanfranco

Yeah, but they say it differently depending on the part of the country. Actually, they're usually fine with "k" sounds, because they sound like Italian "ch" (as in "chianti"), and not bad with a "j" pronounced like the "g" in "Giovanni." Though in Rome, where everything is slurred, that "g" often sounds like "zzzhhh." And in some areas, they do often use a "j" for a "yu/iu" or "ya/ia" sound -- as in "Juvarra" -- or for rendering that great bugaboo, the "gl" sound. Aug 07 05, 10:15 PM

Ilona_Ritter

In Latin class we were taught the J was represented as an I so like "Jublio" was Iublio". Aug 08 05, 6:11 PM

Create a Free FunTrivia ID to add to, request more/new answers, or edit this entry

Which language is hardest to learn French, Spanish, or German? What are the French, German, Italian and Spanish equivalents of MI5 and the CIA? What four letter word is spelled the same in English, Spanish and German? What 4 letter (non rude) word is spelt the same in English, French, Portuguese, Swedish and German?

1 Foods in French and Spanish I will give you a food in French and you need to find the equivalent in Spanish. Pierre, who is French, and Pablo, who is Spanish, will help you with the clues. All French words are in quotes. in the instructions. Spanish Easy 10 Q jdfeag Feb 26 07 2955 plays 2 German Words in English English has borrowed very few words from modern German, but there are some. In each case, pick the English word or phrase that provides the *best* definition or explanation. Have fun! Borrowed Words and Phrases Average 10 Q bloomsby May 02 01 4236 plays 3 Translation: English into German In each case pick the best and most idiomatic of the German versions. Have fun! German Difficult 10 Q bloomsby Oct 18 02 4005 plays