On the Origin of K

The letter ‘K’ holds an interesting spot in the English language, as it is often competing with more common ‘C’ and less used ‘Q’. As described by David Sacks in his book “Letter Perfect“, the letter has its root in Egyptian hieroglyphs, where it first resembled a hand. After centuries of adaptation and translations from Egyptian to Phoenician to Greek, the hand symbol morphed into one much more recognizable by users of the Latin alphabet today.

As the Romans adapted the Latin alphabet, K fell out of favor, and was nearly lost due to its disuse. However, once languages such as German, Polish, and English, the letter experienced a resurgence. English specifically saw it as useful for translating words from other languages, like ‘Kiosk’.

In his book, Sacks also describes how the use of ‘K’ has had some nefarious connotations in the past. Due to the letter being very common in the German language, during World War II it was often used as a way to convey Nazi ideology, such as the spelling ‘Amerika’. Many letters in the English language are rounded, so the very angular ‘K’ can sometimes stand out, with its ‘foreign’ sharp edges. The ‘K’ has continued to have this symbolism perpetrated by hate groups such as the Klu Klux Klan.

Since ‘K’ is the first letter of my name, I’ve experienced a much different interpretation of the letter throughout my life. Having been gifted some ‘K’ paintings and decorations from my family and friends in the past, I feel a strong connection to it visually. I see the letter as feminine, purposeful, and multi-directional. K also represents Western radio stations, one of which I had the honor of reviving. KOUG Radio, the WSU Vancouver radio station, has become a part of me, so I also associate the letter with this amazing organization.


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