 In the Romance languages, the minuscule form of V was a rounded "u"; from this was derived a rounded capital U for the vowel in the 16th century, while a new, pointed minuscule "v" was derived from V for the consonant.In the case of I, a word-final swash form, "j", came to be used for the consonant, with the un-swashed form restricted to vowel use.Such conventions were erratic for centuries.