Where does “form letter” come from?
form letter (English) comes from English form, from Middle English forme, from Old English forma, from Old English fore, from Proto-Germanic furai, from Proto-Indo-European preh₂-, from Proto-Indo-European per-, from Proto-Indo-European pr̥tós — passed , crossed.
form letter (English): A letter that is written generically with blanks...
Definitions
- A letter that is written generically with blanks...
Ancestry of “form letter”, step by step
form letter traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English form
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | form | To do with shape; To do with structure or... |
| 2 | Middle English | forme | first; shape, figure, manner, bench, frame, seat,... |
| 3 | Old English | forma | first |
| 4 | Old English | fore | before; forepart, front |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | furai | before, in front of; before, in front |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | preh₂- | before, in front |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |
via English letter
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | letter | A symbol in an alphabet; A written or printed... |
| 2 | Middle English | letter | — |
| 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,... |