Where does “literal” come from?

literal (Portuguese) comes from Late Latin litteralis, 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,...

literal (Portuguese): literal understood exactly as written, without interpretation

Definitions

  1. literal understood exactly as written, without interpretation

Ancestry of “literal”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Late Latinlitteralisliterary; epistolary
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 “literal”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European leyh₂- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂leyH- →Every word from Old Latin leitera →