There is a slight but real distinction of sound between the so-called palatal and velar k. The first is the ordinary k, for which the back of the tongue is raised against the back part of the hard palate. The second is produced by raising the tongue against the soft palate or velum palati, that is, rather farther back in the mouth. This sound has a tendency to be accompanied by a slight rounding of the lips; this causes an equally slight w sound after the Z-. It is probable that the velar k with this parasitic w was in use for a time in Greece, and that it was represented by the koppa; the symbol would otherwise have been totally unnecessary; also the koppa is generally followed by u or o, which, on this view, is natural. We know that in Greece kw must have been an intermediate sound between k and p in words where k was labialized, such as ∈-o∕√.αι from root sak (see under K). But this intermediate sound was not retained in the language: either the w was dropped and the sound reverted to k, or p was produced by the assimilating force of the w; therefore all need for a symbol koppa vanished. But in Latin the middle step remained, as in sequor ; therefore the symbol was needed. But the parasitic sound became a complete w ∙, and to denote this v was regularly written after the q. Therefore even in Latin the symbol was really otiose, for kv would have been quite sufficient, and did actually suffice for the Umbrian and Oscan, which never possessed the q. In old inscriptions we find q alone when the following vowel is u, as in Mirqurios, pequnia. In later times, when o passed by weakening into u, a preceding qu was written c; thus quom became cum, to avoid the double u of quum. The qu of the Latin naturally passed on into the Romanic languages. It passed into the Teutonic languages in borrowed words, such as quart, but made its way into Teutonic words also; thus, in English, cwén, cwellan are now spelt queen, quell.