'U-shaped' originates from the English letter 'U', which is derived from the Latin alphabet, specifically the letter 'V', where 'V' was used to represent the sound /u/ in Latin.

The letter 'U' evolved from the Latin 'V', which was used interchangeably for the sounds /u/ and /v/. Over time, 'U' became distinct from 'V' in the English alphabet.

Initially, 'U' was used to represent the sound /u/ in Latin, and over time, it became associated with the shape of the letter itself, leading to the term 'U-shaped'.