Where does “letter” come from?
letter (Afrikaans) comes from Dutch letter, from Middle Dutch lettere, from Old French letre, from Latin littera, from Latin lītera, from Old Latin leitera, from Proto-Indo-European h₂leyH-, from Proto-Indo-European leyh₂- — to die, disapear; to avoid, elude, decline,...
letter (Afrikaans): letter letter of the alphabet
Definitions
- letter letter of the alphabet
Ancestry of “letter”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dutch | letter | letter letter of the alphabet |
| 2 | Middle Dutch | lettere | letter; literal meaning; Bible |
| 3 | Old French | letre | letter |
| 4 | Latin | littera | a letter of the alphabet; handwriting; letter,... |
| 5 | Latin | lītera | — |
| 6 | Old Latin | leitera | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂leyH- | to smear |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | leyh₂- | to die, disapear; to avoid, elude, decline,... |