A.E.I.O.U and sometimes Y. Why?

[Sharon]

This is something I've always wondered in the back of my head because I was never really told Why sometimes Y. So... the other night I was talking to a friend, we were talking about our English classes and I asked him, "You know I've always wondered about vowels... AEIOU and sometimes Y, why?" So. does anyone here know why it's sometimes Y?

[thecrazybeautiful]

Sometimes the Y makes a vowel sound, and sometimes it doesn't.

That's the only way I can explain it...

Ohohoh, look, I used the word "only." In that word the Y makes a "E" sound. But sometimes it doesn't do that.

[Laura]

Words need vowels and in words like hymn ... Y has to be the vowel.

[fightingirishman]

This is strictly a guess, but perhaps in Old English they had "y" used as a vowel, but as it modernized, it got two used. Such as in old "tyme" or something. I think that's how they used to spell it, but maybe I'm crazy.

[Sharon]

ohhh... ok ;D well that's a bit clearer for me i guess

[bapiau]

not in old english in welsh actually. Y is used as a vowel and welsh is an older language. English stole it from us

[Laura]

Our language was built off of the English, actually.

[bapiau]

I'm welsh therefore "our" language is welsh and not American and therefore older. English was nicked from a bunch of older languages and that is why it has the largest vocabulary in the world.

[Laura]

us as in Welsh, okay, I thought you meant us as in US of A.

[bapiau]

figured as much lol ^_^

[Laura]

because the US (as in America) copy everything and us as in where I am, Canada, copy the US of A, which means we're ... well, Marilyn Manson says it best:

"you're just a copy of an imitation"