The Middle Ages introduced the letter W to represent the sound /w/ in Germanic languages, as Latin alphabets lacked a separate letter for /w/.
After the Norman conquest in 1066, Old English /w/ was represented by Wynn, but scribes simplified it to W after using the VV digraph.
In 11th century, invention of the first independent letter W, which gained widespread use in 14th century and the lowercase letter w in 16th century.
Letter W accurately represented Germanic language sounds, revolutionised writing and is now widely used globally in the English alphabet.
Furthermore, the letter W is often known as the "double U" because it is made up of two U-shaped strokes.
Next: Why are mental health issues rising in urbanization?
Find out More..