Etymology Explorer › Latin

Where does “illitteratus” come from?

illitteratus (Latin) comes from Latin litteratus, 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,...

illitteratus (Latin): unlearned, uneducated, unscholarly; illiterate;...

Definitions

  1. unlearned, uneducated, unscholarly; illiterate;...

Ancestry of “illitteratus”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinlitteratuslearned, educated, scholarly, literate; cultured,...
2Latinlitteraa letter of the alphabet; handwriting; letter,...
3Latinlītera—
4Old Latinleitera—
5Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂leyH-to smear
6Proto-Indo-Europeanleyh₂-to die, disapear; to avoid, elude, decline,...

Words derived from “illitteratus”

  • illiterate
  • illiterateness
  • illiterately
  • nonilliterate
Every word from Proto-Indo-European leyh₂- →