K, the Sütterlin letter k

History

The letter K is the 11th letter of the German alphabet. Phonetically, it represents a voiceless velar plosive /k/, found in thousands of native Germanic roots and family names.

Sütterlin lowercase k simplifies the intricate knot of Kurrent into a clean ascender loop with a clear middle loop and kick. Capital K features an upright left stem and two balanced diagonal arms that meet cleanly at the mid-line.

The letter k appears in fundamental genealogical vocabulary including 'Kind' (child), 'Kirche' (church), 'Kaufmann' (merchant), and 'Knecht' (farmhand). Its tall ascender and middle knot make it one of the most identifiable letters in historical records.

K began as the palm of a hand,^[1] and Greek took the Phoenician kaph over as kappa, with the same sound k.^[2] The Etruscans had three letters for k and used K for k before a.^[3] By classical Latin, K led a shadow existence, since k was written mostly with C,^[4] and so it remains in the Romance languages, which use K only in foreign words, Sardinian apart.^[5]