Because of their innate structure, Semitic languages needn’t be written with vowel representations, though like any other language vowels are part of speech.
Interestingly, the dual properties of English Y are also evident in yod, the tenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet. In initial position, yod is pronounced like the Y in yellow. In medial position, it can assume either the ‘y-consonant’ sound or the ‘y-vowel’ sound. In terminal position, it carries only the ‘y-vowel’ sound.
The sixth letter, vav, or more properly waw, also has this property, and depending on position and context, can represent English V or long or short O.
Yod corresponds to Latin/English I, which almost functions as a consonant in words like ‘iatrogenic’. Semitic vav-waw permutated to Latin/English F, Y, V, U and W, demonstrating the sometime overlap between consonants and vowels.
In fact the Y is the vowel or diphthong in all cases.
Written English only has 5 letters to represent vowels but spoken English has about 12 vowel sounds and 10 diphthongs. The letters Y and W somethings represent vowel sounds, but can also represent consonants.
Here are some vowelless words in other languages:
Czech - KRK=neck, PRST=finger or toe, SMRK=pine tree, SMRT=death, SRDCE=heart.
Definition 1: The Welsh lyre, a stringed instrument comprising an oblong wooden frame with six strings across a bridge. Four strings are played with a bow while the other two are picked as a kind of bass drone.
Usage 1: The crwth is related closely to the zither, psaltery and dulcimer, and it’s a cousin to the harp. In some versions of musical history, the crwth is the forerunner of the violin. The word, however, is a lexical orphan; someone who plays the instrument is a "crowder" or a "crowther," based on the English correlate.
Suggested usage: The crwth fell out of favor in the Middle Ages. However, you might spot one here and there: "Abelard earned $60 with his homemade crwth at the Renaissance Music Festival." Medieval meets modern at http://www.crwth.org.uk—homepage of the crwth on the Internet.
Etymology: From Welsh crwth "bulge, crowd, violin" (the English crowd, "throng" comes from Old English crudan, "to hasten, press"). Many take today’s word as the only word in English with no vowels; however, this is a Welsh word (the English equivalent is "crowd" or "crowth") and in Welsh (Cymraeg) "w" acts as a vowel between consonants—it is, after all, a "double u." Before or after a vowel, "w" behaves like a consonant. The noisy PIE root of today’s word is ger-, "to cry hoarsely." It gives us crow, as both "bird" and "boast," croon, and cur, Middle English for "mutt," akin to Old Norse kurra, "to growl." (We sing the praises of George Crawford of Knoxville, Tennessee for bringing us today’s word. For more PIE, check our FAQ sheet, linked to the home page.)
In response to the first few posts on the thread, when I was in school in the 70s, we were taught that the vowels were A, E, I, 0, U, sometimes Y, and sometimes W.
Are you trying to resurrect an old thread.
Actually I am glad you did - I reread thru the whole thing. It is really interesting to me, as I play scrabble online with a retired friend who lives miles away.
I like the Welsh and commented on it before somewhere in some thread: I believe it was this site.
What a thymy tryst the gypsy pygmy and spry slyph gyve-th in the crypt. (Oh brother, don’t get me going.)
