Okay, Why isn't the letter Q a vowel?

Hahaha...

Yes, there IS a reason for asking this question. Please refer to the alphabet as written below.

A BCD

E FGH

I JKL

O MNP

Q RST

U VWX

Y Z


Believe it or not, this is a VERY OLD version of the alphabet. Have you noticed that every vowel falls into the first column? More amazing is that the first column is made up EXCLUSIVELY of vowels...except for the letter Q!

It just seems to me that this IS how the alphabet should be written, and if so, then we should consider Q a vowel. Maybe there's a conspiracy here too??





[edit on 12-9-2004 by Toelint]

[edit on 27-9-2004 by John bull 1]

Interesting, especially since my last name starts with the letter Q...

LOL Thanks! I stumbled across this last night...and can't let it go! You wanna control a society? Nevermind it's Liberalism or Conservativism...start by controlling it's alphabet!

(Hey, I'm trying to spin a conspiracy here!)

That's an interesting aphabetical arrangement, but I think the reason that Q is not a vowel is explained by this:

Vowel:
one of a class of speech sounds in the articulation of which the oral part of the breath channel is not blocked and is not constricted enough to cause audible friction; it the one most prominent sound in a syllable. In English, the vowels are a, e, i, o, u, and sometimes y. Welsh adds the letter w to this list, which explains why so many English speakers think of Welsh as a vowel-less language.

Okay now..... II don't know if I am tired or what, but after readind that last post all I can say is IN ENGLISH PLEASE.


It could be that my brain has shut down .

Err.. don't mean to be picky, but shouldn't the O be in between the N and P, not between L and M?

Originally posted by muppet
Err.. don't mean to be picky, but shouldn't the O be in between the N and P, not between L and M?

The originator of the thread stated:

Believe it or not, this is a VERY OLD version of the alphabet. Have you noticed that every vowel falls into the first column? More amazing is that the first column is made up EXCLUSIVELY of vowels...except for the letter Q!

Clearly, this is the tip of the conspiracy iceberg. Who switched the letter around and why? Have we been miscommunicating with each other all these years? Is the reason for all wars?

Ah sorry.. I misinterpreted what he said I guess.

Hmmm.. I guess that means we'll have to unlearn the Sesame Street alphabet song! It wouldn't rhyme anymore!!

Maybe thats true to someone who uses K, Y and W, but the majority of the people who use Roman letters does not use them in the alphabet.

Okay...I THINK I understand what you said. Maybe I need to do a web search for different arraingments of the Alphabet throughout history. Who knows? Maybe...it's the church's fault!

(Hey, pick a church!)

I just emailed Merriam Webster on line and suggested THIS as the new order of our alphabet...and of course, suggested we make Q a vowel!

I just got an email from Merriam Wester...here, I'll paste it.

>Though letters are my livelihood, I must confess I'd never noticed the pattern before. And people think the alphabet is boring.

Unfortunately, making "Q" a vowel isn't something that we can do, and changing the order of the alphabet would not only throw off millions of Sesame Street viewers, but it would also cast aside thousands of years of history. The order of the alphabet has remained fairly stable since pre-Roman times, and who are we to argue with that?

Thanks for sharing your find with logophiles like us! Have a good week,
Kory Stamper, Associate Editor
Merriam-Webster, Inc.<

Well, gang...I tried! Who should I try next. The NEA??

Originally posted by freespirit
Okay now..... II don't know if I am tired or what, but after readind that last post all I can say is IN ENGLISH PLEASE.

Vowel:
one of a class of speech sounds

A type of noise

in the articulation of which the oral part of the breath channel is not blocked and is not constricted enough to cause audible friction;

Where, when you make that noise you don't press your lips together, press your tongue to your lips, teeth, or the inside of your mouth so that the air stops (like in a /b/, or /p/ noise) or vibrates (like in a /v/ or /s/ noise).

it the one most prominent sound in a syllable.

And it's the most noticeable sound in that part of the word. (which is not quite true, but it's easiest to say it that way and avoid the linguistic jargon.)

Blasted, 'tis an oyster with an arm! AURH-AURH.

Originally posted by Toelint
LOL Thanks! I stumbled across this last night...and can't let it go! You wanna control a society? Nevermind it's Liberalism or Conservativism...start by controlling it's alphabet!

(Hey, I'm trying to spin a conspiracy here!)

Man! It's 1984 incarnate! Now where's the Victory Gin...

i just thought of something...

Q always follows behind a U, and a U is a vowel... so technically, U, and Qu should be a vowel.. if not its own letter (kinda like the spanish have rr and ll)

Maybe that all vowels have a long and short sound. I am not sure that "Q" has a long and short sound. Although it is a great observation:

Originally posted by Bongobob
i just thought of something...

Q always follows behind a U, and a U is a vowel... so technically, U, and Qu should be a vowel.. if not its own letter (kinda like the spanish have rr and ll)

This is true, as far as I know, but in Portuguese sometimes we read the "U" , like in "qu�mica" that sounds like "kimica", and sometimes with do not, like in "quase" that sounds like "kuase".

Yes, I HAVE email the Oxford English Dictionary website...to no avail. No, not even a response...yet...but I'm NOT letting this go!

Interesting indeed!
I never even knew of the 'old' alphabet.
Since this is somewhat talk of vowels,is there ANY word that does NOT have a vowel in it?Try as I might,I could never find one.