Illustration from 1908 Chambers's Twentieth Century. <b>U</b>, the twenty-first letter and the fifth vowel in our alphabet—evolving amongst the Greeks as <i>V</i>, with the value of <i>u</i>. From V, the lapidary and capital form, the uncial and cursive forms U and <i>u</i> were developed, gradually V becoming appropriated as the symbol for the consonant, and the medial form <i>u</i> as the symbol for the vowel.
Rev. Thomas Davidson 1856-1923 (<i>ed.</i>)
Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary of the English Language