Where does “lettres patentes” come from?
lettres patentes (Middle French) comes from Latin litterae patentes, 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,...
lettres patentes (Middle French): letter in which a privilege is granted
Definitions
- letter in which a privilege is granted
Ancestry of “lettres patentes”, step by step
lettres patentes traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Latin litterae patentes
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | litterae patentes | letters patent, an open document, usually... |
| 2 | Latin | littera | a letter of the alphabet; handwriting; letter,... |
| 3 | Latin | lītera | — |
| 4 | Old Latin | leitera | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂leyH- | to smear |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | leyh₂- | to die, disapear; to avoid, elude, decline,... |
via Anglo-Norman French lettre patente
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anglo-Norman French | lettre patente | — |
| 2 | Latin | littera patens | open letter |