Where does “letter” come from?

letter (English) comes from Middle English letter, 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 (English): A symbol in an alphabet; A written or printed...

Definitions

  1. A symbol in an alphabet; A written or printed...

Ancestry of “letter”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishletter—
2Old Frenchletreletter
3Latinlitteraa letter of the alphabet; handwriting; letter,...
4Latinlītera—
5Old Latinleitera—
6Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂leyH-to smear
7Proto-Indo-Europeanleyh₂-to die, disapear; to avoid, elude, decline,...

Words derived from “letter”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European leyh₂- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂leyH- →Every word from Old Latin leitera →