On the Latin Language, Vol. I (1938) - Page 25

4. VO UO and VU UU: Varro certainly wrote only VO or UO, but the manuscript rarely shows VO or UO in inflectional syllables. The examples are novom new ix. 20 (corrected from nouum in F); nominatuom of naming ix. 95, x. 30 (both -tiuom F); obliquom slanting x. 50; loquontur they speak vi. 1, ix. 85; sequontur they follow x. 71; clivos slopes v. 158; perhaps amburvom bent around v. 127 (impurro Fv). In initial syllables VO is almost regular: volt he/she wants vi. 47, etc.; volpes foxes v. 101; volgus common people v. 58, etc., but vulgo commonly viii. 66; Volcanus Vulcan v. 70, etc.; volsillis small hair-tweezers ix. 33. Examples of the opposite practice are aequum equal vi. 71; duum of two x. 11; antiquus ancient vi. 68; sequuntur they follow viii. 25; confluunt they flow together x. 50. Our text preserves the manuscript readings.

5. UV before a vowel: Varro probably wrote U and not UV before a vowel, except initially, where his practice may have been the other way. The examples are: Pacuius v. 60, vi. 6 (catulus Fv), 94, vii. 18, 76, and Pacuvius v. 17, 24, vii. 59; gen. Pacui v. 7, vi. 6, vii. 22; Pacuium vii. 87, 88, 91, 102; compluium, impluium atrium opening v. 161, and pluvia rain v. 161, compluvium atrium opening v. 125; simpuium ladle v. 124 bis (simpulum codd.); cf. panuvellium cloth-wrapped v. 114. Initially: uvidus moist v. 24; uvae, uvore grapes, moisture v. 104; uvidum moist v. 109.

6. U and I: Varro shows in medial syllables a variation between U and I, before P or B or F or M plus a vowel. The orthography of the manuscript has been retained in our text, though it is likely that Varro regularly used U in these types:

The superlative and similar words: albissumum whitest viii. 75; frugalissumus most frugal viii. 77; caesisumus cut/hewn viii. 76; intumus innermost v. 154; maritumae maritime v. 113; melissumum sweetest viii. 76; optumum best vii. 51; pauperrumus poorest viii. 77; proxuma etc. v. 36, 93, ix. 115, x. 4, 26; septuma etc. ix. 30, x. 46 ter; Septumio v. 1, vii. 109; superrumo highest/uppermost