A word called Tittle and what is it?

What’s the name for the dot over “i” and “j”?

"A word after a word after a word is power." - Margaret Atwood

It is called a tittle[1].

A "tittle" is a small mark or sign, such as the dot above the letter "i" or “j."

Certainly, here are some facts about tittles:

• They are used in many writing systems, including Latin, Cyrillic, and Hebrew.

• In some languages, such as Arabic and Hebrew, they are used to distinguish between different letters that have similar shapes.

• The tittle on top of the letter "i" is sometimes called a "superscript dot" or a "dot accent."

• Typography also refers to any small mark or accent, such as the accent mark in the Spanish word "mañana."

• In some languages, such as the Turkish alphabet, the letter "i" does not have a dot above it but instead has a dotless variant. This letter is "ı" and is distinguished from "i" by its lack of a tittle.

• The tittle of the letter "j" is sometimes called a "jot."

• The tittle of the letter "i" can be traced back to the ancient Greeks, who used a dot to indicate a short vowel sound.

Interestingly, the tittle has other meanings and uses beyond its role in distinguishing the letters "i" and "j." For example, in music notation, a tittle is used to indicate a staccato articulation, which means to play a note in a short and detached manner. Additionally, in the world of typography, a tittle can refer to any small mark or accent used in writing, such as a diacritical mark or a punctuation mark.

“ij” is a digraph, too.

I learned that “ij” is a tittle but also a digraph, a pair of letters used to represent a single sound.

I got curious and wanted to know what a digraph is. So I ask Notion AI to give me an explanation of what a digraph is.

A digraph is a pair of letters used to represent a single sound. An example of a digraph is "ph,” which is used to represent the "f" sound in words like "phone" and "elephant."

"Ij" is a digraph because it is a pair of letters representing a single sound. While it is sometimes treated as two separate letters in modern usage, it is often used together to represent a distinct sound in certain languages, such as Dutch.

In Dutch, the combination of "i" and "j" is often used to represent the vowel sound "long i" or "long ee" (IPA /iː/), as in the word "wijn" (wine). This combination is sometimes called "Griekse ij" (Greek "ij"), as it originally came from the Greek language. In Greek, the letter "ι" (iota) is pronounced like the "i" in "machine," while the letter "η" (eta) is pronounced like the "ee" in "fee." When Dutch printers began using the letter "i" with a tittle in the 16th century, they used it to represent both the vowel and consonant sounds of "i," resulting in the use of "ij" for the vowel sound. While "ij" is often treated as a single letter in Dutch, it is still considered a digraph, as it represents a single sound of two letters.

Digraphs are not only limited to English. Other languages use digraphs, too, such as the "ch" in German and the "sh" in Russian. They are also commonly used in phonics instruction to teach children how to read and spell words. Understanding the use of digraphs can help with language learning and communication in various fields.

Did you know “J” was the last letter to English Alphabet?

I just learned something new while learning more about tittles and digraphs.

The last letter added to English Alphabet was “J.” It was added to the alphabet until the 16th Century (to be exact, 1524). Gian Giorgio was responsible for this letter. “J” was a late bloomer.

I knew about this one. Before "J" was invented, the letter "I" was used in its place. It was used for the consonant sound as well as for the vowel sound. For example, the Latin word for Jesus is "Iesus."

The letter “J” did not exist in classic Latin because the ancient Romans did not use it as a separate letter in their alphabet. Instead, they used the letter I as both a vowel and a consonant. The letter J emerged later as a variant of I in medieval Europe, along with the letter U as a variant of V. In Latin, when the letter I was used as a consonant, it had a sound similar to the English "y" sound. Therefore, the name IOANNES (John) or IESOUS (Jesus) in Greek then Iesus in Latin would have been pronounced with a "y" sound, not a "j" sound like in English. But in Hebrew, Jesus was Yeshua.

Also, a story about The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet was published in early Modern English as ‘The Tragedie of Romeo and Ivliet.” Do you notice that there are “I” and “v” letters in it? Because there was no “j” or “u” in Early Modern English, either.

It's interesting to learn about the history of the English alphabet and how it has evolved over time. The addition of the letter "J" in the 16th century is just one example of how the English language has changed and adapted throughout history. It's also fascinating to see how different writing systems use tittles and digraphs to distinguish between letters and sounds and how these elements are used in various fields, such as music and typography.