Where does “letterspace” come from?
letterspace (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,...
letterspace (English): A space as wide as a single text character
Definitions
- A space as wide as a single text character
Ancestry of “letterspace”, step by step
letterspace traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
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,... |
via English space
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | space | "Of time."; "Unlimited or generalized extent,... |
| 2 | Middle English | space | — |
| 3 | Old French | espace | space; room; duration |
| 4 | Latin | spatium | Space, room, extent; Distance between points; A... |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | spéh₁- | to succeed, to prosper |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | speh₁- | to succeed, to prosper |