Use of symbol V

[Stu]

How and why is symbol V used here


no tardé en averiguar que el difunto v llorado

[Rusty]

We're apparently missing context here, as the phrase doesn't make sense as written.

The Spanish abbreviation v (with a period) means véase, but that may not be the case here.

Looking at what you posted, and judging from the fact that difunto and llorado may be used in close proximity to each other while discussing the death of an individual, the v could represent the English word versus, which is abbreviated 'v' or 'vs' (with or without a period). Note, however, that the English meaning of 'versus' is usually translated as 'contra' or 'frente a' in Spanish, which has no abbreviation.
Spanish media may use 'vs' once in a while thinking their audience will understand it as meaning 'contra' or 'frente a'.

The Latin word 'versus' (listed as the etymology of the English word) means 'hacia, girado para encarar, una alternativa o un contraste' in Spanish. It can also mean 'against' (location), as in 'against a wall'.
That said, some native speakers say that they understand it is now taking on the English meaning.

[aleCcowaN]

"...no tardé en averiguar que el difunto v llorado Oldacre era un pájaro de mucho cuidado"

"... I found very quickly that the late lamented Oldacre was a pretty considerable blackguard"

It could be v from verso (like in reverso), legal parlance for the back of a page in a legal document, and here equivalent to slash: late (slash) lamented, difunto v llorado

Or it could be just a bad character recognition that mixed up a wye for a ve

difunto y llorado Oldacre

As "difunto llorado Oldacre" is wrong, I suppose the translator chose the stylish first way.

In Spanish, adjectives placed in front of a noun characterize the noun as a whole so it's difficult to stack them as you do when the adjectives are placed following the noun to specify a subset of the noun (camisa verde grande de algodón).

It's funny to see how "verde grande de algodón camisa" and "Oldacre difunto lamentado" make no sense at all in Spanish. That specific is adjective placement.

[Rusty]

Ah, with the context it's so much easier to see how the character might have been used.
I was unaware of the slash usage. The corrupted 'y' scenario did come to mind, however.

[Stu]

Thank you all for the comments. There are many places in this text where this symbol is used. When I put it into the translator it comes up with
Yes, Watson, I was there and it was not long before I found out that the deceased was crying

I can't see how it translates as was crying. Does the Oldacre ... form part of the same sentence? It just seems to be a separate thing.

Ah I see my mistake same as the translator I assumed llorado was the past participle and it made no sense.

[aleCcowaN]

As a note about use, llorado is not very common with this meaning unless it's a very recent decease, and even so we tend to use muy lamentado instead or indirect means: "cuya (reciente) desaparición ha sido motivo de gran lamentación". After some time we use recordado, and, in both short and long terms, if it is the case of a person who was about to give the best of themselves, especially with young ones, we use malogrado.


About the confusion, it is hard to me to imagine a valid article + adjective + verb + noun structure in Spanish.