Sideways I facts for kids
The Sideways I (ꟷ) is a special version of the Latin letter I. People used it a long time ago, in the early Middle Ages, for writing on stones. You can find it mostly in old Celtic writings from Wales and southwest England, like Cornwall and Devon.
This unique letter shows up in about 36 stone writings in Wales and 15 in Cornwall and Devon. Most of these writings are from the 400s and 500s AD. It's very rare! Except for one stone on the Isle of Man, you won't find this letter on old monuments anywhere else in the world.
The Sideways I was always used at the very end of a word. It appeared in Latin words or Latin-sounding Celtic names. It was especially used for words that showed ownership, like saying "of Sabinus" instead of just "Sabinus."
Contents
What is the Sideways I?
The Sideways I is a unique letter from ancient times. It looks like the letter "I" but turned on its side. It's a special way of writing that was used in certain places.
Where was the Sideways I used?
This letter was mainly used in Wales and the southwest parts of England. These areas include Cornwall and Devon. It was a local way of writing.
When was the Sideways I used?
Most of the stone writings with the Sideways I are from the 400s and 500s AD. This was a time known as the early Middle Ages. It's a very old letter!
How is the Sideways I used today?
Even though it's an old letter, the Sideways I has been added to modern computer systems. In 2011, people suggested adding it to the Unicode standard. Unicode is like a big library of all the letters and symbols used around the world.
Encoding the Sideways I
The Sideways I is now part of Unicode 7.0. This means computers can now understand and display this ancient letter. It has a special code: A7F7. This helps researchers and historians study these old writings.
