What is the history of the letter v?

The letter "V" has its origins in the Phoenician alphabet, where it represented the sound /w/ and was symbolized by a character resembling a modern "Y." The Greeks adapted the Phoenician character into their alphabet, using it for the vowel sound /u/ and later for /v/, which evolved in Latin to signify the consonantal sound /v/. Over time, the letter "V" came to represent both the vowel and consonant sounds in various languages, solidifying its place in the modern English alphabet. Its distinct shape developed from the Latin "V," which was used interchangeably with "U" until the Renaissance period, when they were formally differentiated.