KYD, THOMAS. an English drama tist; flourished in the 16th century. He was one of the most popular English writers of tragedies before Shakespeare, and helped prepare the way for him. His two most successful plays were "The Spanish Tragedy, or Hieronimo," and "Oratio." They were very popular and were frequently acted, not only in England, but in Germany and in Hol land; but the former was much ridiculed by Shakespeare and his contemporaries for its bombastic rant.
L, 1, the 12th letter in the English alphabet, generally regarded as a semi vowel or a liquid. In shape it has been derived from that of the Oriental /amed. L. has only one sound in English, as.in love, long, like, etc. L is frequently in terchanged with r, of which it is con sidered to be a later modification: thus the Latin lavenclula has become in Eng lish lavender; the Latin peregrinus (French pelerin) has become the English pilgrim; the Latin sinoplum, English sinoper. L has become an n, as in pos tern, Latin posterula (Old French post erle, posterne). In some Romance words it has been weakened to u, as in hauberk = Old French halbere, halbert; auburn = Latin alburnum. From several words it has disappeared, as from each= Anglo-Saxon x/e; which = Anglo-Saxon hwylc; such= Anglo-Saxon iwyle; as = Anglo-Saxon ealswa (also). On the
other hand it has intruded into could= Anglo-Saxon cuthe, coucle; myrtle = Latin myrtus; manciple = Old French mancipe; Latin mancipium; participle = Old French participe; Latin partici pium; syllable=Latin syllaba. In Anglo Saxon 1, like r, was frequently preceded by h, which has since been dropped, as in loaf =Anglo-Saxon hlcif ; lot =hlot, etc.
As an initial L is used: For book (Latin liber), for law or laws, in D. C. L.= Doctor of Civil Law, LL. D.= Legum Doctor; in mathematics for logarithm; in music for left: as L. IL= left hand, and in stage directions for left, or prompt side.
As a symbol L is used: 1. In numeration: For 50; with a line drawn above it L 50,000.
2. In chemistry: For LITHIUM (q. v.).
3. In English commercial transac tions: For a pound or pounds; as L (usually written 2) s. d.=pounds, shil lings, and pence.
L railroads, the name given in Ameri can cities to the lines of intramural transportation which are elevated above the surface of the earth. The L is a symbolic representation of the first syl lable in the word elevated.
LA (la), in music the 6th of the seven syllables—ut, or, do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, &I- representing the seven sounds in the dia tonic scale.