View source for I

{{Lewis
|lshtext=<b>I</b>: i, the [[ninth]] [[letter]] of the Latin [[alphabet]], a vowel; for [[even]] the old grammarians [[distinguished]] it from the consonant written [[with]] the [[same]] [[character]]; see the [[letter]] J. The [[short]]<br /><b>I</b> i is, [[next]] to ë, the [[least]] [[emphatic]] of the Latin [[vowels]], and serves, corresp. to the Gr. o, as a connecting [[sound]] in forming compounds: aerĭfodina, aerĭpes, [[altitudo]], altĭsonus, arcitenens, homĭcida, etc. It is [[often]] inserted in Latin words [[derived]] from Greek: [[mina]], techina, cucinus, [[lucinus]] (for mna, [[techna]], [[cycnus]], [[lychnus]], etc.); cf. Ritschl, Rhein. Mus. 8, p. 475 sq.; 9, p. 480; 10, p. 447 sq. And in [[similar]] [[manner]] inserted in arguiturus, [[abnuiturus]], etc. The vowel i is [[most]] [[closely]] [[related]] to u, and [[hence]] the [[transition]] of the [[latter]] [[into]] the [[former]] took [[place]] not [[only]] by [[assimilation]] [[into]] a [[following]] i, as [[similis]], [[together]] [[with]] [[simul]] and [[simultas]]; [[facilis]], [[together]] [[with]] [[facul]] and [[facultas]]; [[familia]], [[together]] [[with]] [[famul]] and [[famulus]]; [[but]] also [[simply]] for greater [[ease]] of [[utterance]]; so [[that]], from the [[class]]. per. [[onward]], we [[find]] i written in the [[place]] of the [[older]] u: [[optimus]], [[maximus]], [[finitimus]], [[satira]], [[lacrima]], [[libet]], [[libido]], etc., [[instead]] of the earlier [[optumus]], maxumus, finitumus, [[satura]], [[lacruma]], [[lubet]], [[lubido]], etc.; cf. also the archaic genitives cererus, venerus, [[honorus]], nominus, etc., for the [[later]] Cereris, Veneris, honoris, nominis, etc., the archaic orthography caputalis for [[capitalis]], etc. For the [[relation]] of i to a and e, see those letters. Examples of [[commutation]] [[between]] i and o are [[rare]]: -[[agnitus]], [[cognitus]], [[together]] [[with]] [[notus]], [[ilico]] from in [[loco]], the archaic forms [[ollus]], ollic for [[ille]], [[illic]], and [[inversely]], [[sispes]] and sispita for [[sospes]] and sospita. As an [[abbreviation]], I (as the [[sign]] of the vowel i) denotes in, [[infra]], [[ipse]], [[Isis]], etc.: IDQ iidemque, I. H. F. C. ipsius [[heres]] faciendum curavit, IM. [[immunis]], IMP. [[imperium]], [[imperator]], etc. The [[capital]] [[letter]] I is [[often]] [[confounded]] [[with]] the [[numeral]] I. ([[unus]], [[primus]]).
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