c. 100 BC

Classical Latin

The Classical Latin alphabet of around 100 BCE represents an intermediate stage in Latin writing system development. During this period, the Latin alphabet consisted of 21 letters: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, V, X. The letter G had been added in the 3rd century BCE to distinguish the /g/ sound from C (which originally represented both /k/ and /g/). The letter K was rarely used, appearing mainly in a few archaic words like "Kalendae." The letters Y and Z had not yet been adopted (they would be added later to write Greek loanwords). The letter V (originally written as V in capitals) represented both the vowel /u/ and the consonant /w/, with the distinction made through context. Similarly, I represented both the vowel /i/ and the consonant /j/. Classical Latin orthography did not systematically mark vowel length, though it was phonemically distinctive in the spoken language. This alphabet formed the foundation for Romance language writing systems and countless other scripts worldwide.