Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “antiliterate” come from?

antiliterate (English) comes from English literate, from Middle English litterate, from Latin litteratus, 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,...

antiliterate (English): Opposed to literacy or literature

Definitions

  1. Opposed to literacy or literature

Ancestry of “antiliterate”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishliterateAble to read and write; having literacy;...
2Middle Englishlitterate—
3Latinlitteratuslearned, educated, scholarly, literate; cultured,...
4Latinlitteraa letter of the alphabet; handwriting; letter,...
5Latinlītera—
6Old Latinleitera—
7Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂leyH-to smear
8Proto-Indo-Europeanleyh₂-to die, disapear; to avoid, elude, decline,...
Every word from Proto-Indo-European leyh₂- →