Etymology Dictionary

V.   In Middle-English, v is commonly written u in the MSS., though many editors needlessly falsify the spellings of the originals to suit a supposed popular taste.  Conversely, u sometimes appears as v, most often at the beginnings of words, especially in the words vs, vse, vp, vn-to, vnder, and vn- used as a prefix.  The use of v for u, and conversely, is also found in early printed books, and occurs occasionally down to rather a late date.  Cotgrave ranges all F. words beginning with v and u under the common symbol V.  We may also note that a very large proportion of the words which begin with V are of French or Latin origin; only vane, vat, vinewed, vixen, are English.