Where does “letterman” come from?

letterman (English) comes from English letter, 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,...

letterman (English): A student who has attained a specified level of...

Definitions

  1. A student who has attained a specified level of...

Ancestry of “letterman”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishletterA symbol in an alphabet; A written or printed...
2Middle Englishletter
3Old Frenchletreletter
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-Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂leyH-Every word from Old Latin leitera