Is it *really* necessary to always use a "u" after a "q"?

Answer 1

In English, pretty well always yes, because most of the words originate from Old English "Cw" (pronounce /kw/) and the Norman scribes, when writing in English, didn't like this combination - probably because they didn't use the letter "w", so changed it to "qu" in order to make it easier for them.

Many words of Arabic or Hebrew origin, when transliterated into English, will use "q" without "u" because these languages possess two sounds and two letters that approximate to our "k" and are as different to their ears as, say, "p" and "b" are to our English ears.

Answer 2

The english language is all jumbled up when it comes to following certain rules. English is my only language (although my wife doesn't even agree with that), and I still can't grasp what logic they used while deciding the rules. Of course, I realize the language has evolved different rules and changes over the ages, but I still wish it had a set of hard fast rules. All the slang that gets introduced makes a big difference in the constant changes, and hard to follow rules.

Answer 3

I play a lot of scrabble and a lot of words that begin with Q usually is followed by an "u", but it's not always the case.
Some examples found in dictionary (but they are not common everyday words):
- qat, q-fever, qawwali

Answer 4

Yes, because there are a few words, although obscure and archaic, that do not have a u after the q.

Answer 5

In English, yes, always.

Answer 6

Not always. "Qwerty" is the configuration of a common keyboard. Go figure.

Answer 7

Well, there is:
Qatar.
Qantas.
Qimmik (Inuktitut for dog).
Qiviut (wool from the underside of a muskox).

Answer 8

not if you say qwank up the tunes please.