“J” – Common Yet Different

I fully admit I’m a nerd when it comes to language. Although English was hard for me when it came to reading and writing originally, I still find its fluidity and creativity fascinating. 

My high school required two years of a foreign language. I picked Spanish because, growing up in Colorado, it was the most likely language I would encounter after English. Plus, I love how gracefully Spanish flows off the tongue. 

Unfortunately, Spanish didn’t stick. I’ve tried off and on for years, but without someone to regularly speak with, I only managed to get so far. However, I do still know the letters. To read the language requires a sort of mental acrobatics for me to remember that the double “ll” sounds like a “y”—think quesadilla—and that the “j” is an “h”—think jalapeno—instead of the “jay” we say in English. 

The difference isn’t all that surprising since English and Spanish split centuries ago. To me, it’s more surprising that the two languages have almost the same alphabet than that they have similar letters that sound completely different. 

Enter German and the Letter “J”

It is surprising to me that German and English also have this letter in common. Yet, they sound nothing alike and are definitely not called the same thing. A German “j” is called jott (sounds like “Yoo-t”) and, as the name suggests, it creates a “y” sound. So, when Germans say ja for yes, it comes out “yah.” 

Six centuries since Spanish and English diverged, and yet, they have touchpoints displaying their similar roots. Yet at the same time, even those that are relatively close in their history, only fifteen hundred instead of six thousand since English branched from German, and somehow, they have vastly different sounds for the same shaped letter. 

I find that fascinating. Don’t know why. Thanks for letting me express my nerdy side for moment! 

Blessings,

Jennifer

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