Definition:

The letter “y” can be a vowel or a consonant, represent an unknown value in math, or have symbolic meanings like representing a fork in the road.  [REF]

Deconstruction:

Children are taught the standard “a, e, i, o, u” vowels in elementary school.  However, when young students eventually learn the end of the alphabet, and realize some words can be executed without any of the traditional vowels, the English language reveals itself in all the associated absurd complexity.

As listed below, there’s a trio of official ways by which the versatile “y” is deemed a vowel, some obvious, and others obtuse.

• The clear case, where there’s no other standard vowel in the spelling.

• The edge case, with the “y” at the end of the word, often as a suffix.

• The middling case, with this unique letter in the center of a syllable.

Why funny system?  This three-word question encapsulates the various variations where “y” can function as a vowel.

The common refrain “and sometimes ‘y’” is inaccurate on several levels.  First, “y” is often a vowel, serving this starring role in many normal words.  Second, there’s another letter which can also express as a vowel in the English language.  The “w”, like in the word “wonderful”.  However, this is more of a supplement to the big 5, unable to live on its own, with only other consonants.

When the angular letter “y” is starting a word, or even a syllable, it’s typically a consonant.  However, its most common application is added on to the end of a term, usually as a modifying suffix for adjectives.  English dictionary and text analysis suggests this unique letter is utilized just 2% of the time, but occurs in nearly 20% of words.

Spelling aside, pronunciation of the “y” varies widely.  In most cases, when in vowel form, this letter takes on either the long “e” or short “i” sounds.  Like “daisy” and “hyacinth”, respectively, depending on the flowery vernacular selected.

For those who haven’t met me in person, enunciation is not one of my specialties.  That’s probably why I ended up blogging instead of podcasting.  However, it’s important to delve deep into the subtleties of speaking to understand the origin of phonemes.

The differentiation between vowels and consonants stems not from the spelling, but rather the sound.  Not surprisingly, both these linguistic terms originate from the Latin lexicon, harkening back to the way each letter and syllable are pronounced.

A vowel noise is executed with an open mouth, tongue in the middle of the cavity, not touching the lips or teeth, allowing free air flow outward.  In contrast, a consonant’s execution relies on manipulating the tongue, lips, and teeth to connect them, thus inhibiting expelled air, thereby creating novel noises.

Predictably, the versatile letter “y” can be spoken using either mouth method, depending on word context, allowing for both consonant and vowel scenarios.

To make things more confusing, there’s another format when a traditional and rogue vowel end up adjacent, creating a singular sound known as a diphthong.  Like “boy” and “cow”, referencing back to the angular semi-vowels at the very end of the alphabet.

The English alphabet, like most used globally, utilizes a wide range of shapely characters.  This text, along many words spelled out with these letters, is also based on Latin roots.  The term “alphabet” is of even older Greek origin, combining the first pair of signs in that dialect, “alpha” and “beta”.    

In addition to the 26 unique symbols and sounds, the capital and lowercase formats double the number of characters an elementary school student must write, and a foreign exchange student must learn.

For the nerds in the audience, per the Guinness Book of World Records, the Cambodian language of Khmer stakes claim to the largest alphabet in current existence, encompassing 74 total distinct letters: 33 consonants, 24 basic vowels, and 12 independent vowels, and 5 ancillary symbols.  At least their word structure is less complex than modern English.

For other simpler romance languages, the redundant letter “y” has been essentially replaced by more common vowels.  In Italian, “system” becomes “sistema”, and “today” translates to “hoje” in Portuguese.

That being said, basically every European dialect utilizes between 21 and 33 letters, most similar in shape, aside from an accent here, or an omission there.

Though now pushing 1.5 millennia in age, and the most commonly used vernacular globally, English is decidedly modern relative to some other archaic forms of written communication, like cuneiform, hieroglyphics, and sanskrit.

A pangram is a clear and concise sentence which uses every letter of an alphabet.  For the English language, two such sayings that incorporate all 26 discrete characters, are as follows.

A quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

Mr. Jock, TV quiz PhD, bags few lynx.

While the later statement is slightly shorter, the former uses a combination of words so simple a child can interpret them.  Which is why this saying is used as a verbal and memory tool at many primary schools.

There’s a formalized list of playable words, as dictated by the official Scrabble dictionary, that don’t incorporate any of the 5, make that 6, acknowledged English vowels.  Pursuing this collective, most of the terms have no relevance in modern language, and read more like an abbreviated text stream.

However, there are a few offerings which, while unique, are of some conversational relevance, and common parlance.  Many of these weird words fall in the onomatopoeia realm, linked letters used to mimic a unique sound.  Like BRRR, when you’re cold, HMM, when you’re confused, PSST, when connecting with your cat, and TSK, when scolding your child.  No vowels required, especially in this age of rapid phone chats.

There are 98 legal 7-letter Scrabble plays that use both the available “y”s.  Many of these terms are ubiquitously known: anybody, crybaby, dynasty, loyalty, mystery, royalty, synonym.  However, the required combination of tiles is unlikely to be amassed on a single rack, or link to any existing board layout. 

Much rarer are words which incorporate an adjacent pair of “y”s.  Obscure is an understatement based on the definitions.   

"Bayyan", of Arabic language origin, phonetically translated to British English, which means to clarify in an official declaration.

"Gayyou", not a query about sexual orientation as it appears in separated form, but instead an Annamese narrow flat-bottomed boat.

"Piyyut", dating all the way back to 4^th century A.D. Palestine, this collection of religious poems remains relevant to the modern Jewish religious practices.

"Sayyid", which could be a new way to confirm one’s identity on a cellphone, but instead identifies an Islamic leader.

If any of your friends pull off one of these plays in “Words With Friends”, don’t be afraid to call out their feinted knowledge as cheating.

Electronic games like WWF and Wordle have highlighted many English terms with unique and absurd spelling, bringing lost language elements back into the public conscious. 

Transitioning from linguistics to mathematics, the symbol “y” is often used for algebra calculations.  This format traces all the way back to the Cartesian coordinate system, conceived in the 17^th century by French mathematician René Descartes.

Numbered “x” and “y” axes, for the horizontal and vertical directions respectively, allow any point in 2-dimensional space to be identified relative to a origin reference.  This construct has led to the entire field of analytic geometry, with equations for lines, parabolas, and circles defined and solved for using “x” and “y” as integer variables rather than discrete constants.

Whether executed as a letter or number, symbol or shape, this unique character has a special place in the modern communication hierarchy.  Hopefully all these details help put the why in the letter “y”. 

Details:

• Why “y” is sometimes a vowel.  [REF]

• Making the case for “w” as a vowel.  [REF]

• Detailed discussion on the pronunciation of vowels and consonants.  [REF]

• Breaking down the count of letters in various alphabets.  [REF]

• Complete list of legal Scrabble words with no vowels.  [REF]

• Origin of the Cartesian coordinate system.  [REF]