Where does “illettrisme” come from?
illettrisme (French) comes from French illettré, from French lettré, 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,...
illettrisme (French): illiteracy (the inability to read and write)
Definitions
- illiteracy (the inability to read and write)
Ancestry of “illettrisme”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | illettré | illiterate; analphabetic; uncultured; lacking... |
| 2 | French | lettré | literate; well-versed; literate person |
| 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,... |