"B" and "V"

Do you think that "B" or "V" might disappear in a distant future? Maybe as "J" replaced "X" in old spanish. Even though their pronunciation may vary, they share similarities. What do you think?

I don't think so, at least not in the near future. But that is a very interesting thought.

Jess.PWinkler wrote:

"J" replaced "X" in old spanish

Like in "Mejico"?

leosmith wrote:

Jess.PWinkler wrote:

"J" replaced "X" in old spanish

Like in "Mejico"?

Yes, but there are other examples, there are names that were like "Ximena" and are now "Jimena"... Other cases are more conservative and keep the "X", like "Xavi Alonso" from Spain Footbal club, it's hard to find a "Xavier" and a lot more easier to find a "Javier". I was thinking that maybe due their similarities, something similar could happen with the "V" and "B"

I think that doesn't applies for names. I have a friend named Ximena and the pronunciation is different.

"In Old Spanish, words like "caja", "bajo", and "jarabe" were originally spelled with an "x", and pronounced as "sh" (voiceless palato-alveolar sibilant).

In the 1815 the spellings were officially changed from an "x" to a "j" by the RAE, including words like "Méjico" and "Tejas". By this time, the "j" was pronounced the same as "x" (previously it was pronounced like a French "j" (voiced palato-alveolar sibilant)). Over time, some words (like "Méjico", "Tejas", "Oajaca", and "Javier") reverted back to the "x" spelling, but retained their "j" pronunciation. And the letter "j" took on the "h" pronunciation that we know today."

https://spanish.stackexchange.com/questions/245/why-is-the-x-in-m%C3%A9xico-or-texas-pronunced-as-the-letter-j-por-qu%C3%A9-la

Jess.PWinkler wrote:

leosmith wrote:

Jess.PWinkler wrote:

"J" replaced "X" in old spanish

Like in "Mejico"?

Yes, but there are other examples, there are names that were like "Ximena" and are now "Jimena"... Other cases are more conservative and keep the "X", like "Xavi Alonso" from Spain Footbal club, it's hard to find a "Xavier" and a lot more easier to find a "Javier". I was thinking that maybe due their similarities, something similar could happen with the "V" and "B"

I was just joking actually - Mexicans really don't like to see it spelled with a j. But the reason B and V will never merge in English is that these sounds are very distinct. In Spanish the V is somewhere between the English B and V, but in English, you should be pronouncing these letters quite differently.

This is a bery interesting thread :D

Hmm...honestly...I don't think it will happen any time soon (or at all), but I never thought of this..

I guess letters "disappearing" over time is a thing that happens...hmm..

Hmm... never really thought about it - not familiar enough with Spanish to weigh in. But I'm guessing these letters have a function, even if it's simply historical? Otherwise, we probably can get rid of stuff like Y in English, because it can be spelled "i" or "ie" like kids do these days?