Where does “литера” come from?

литера (Russian) comes 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,...

литера (Russian): type; letter; A prepaid mark on a postal envelope

Definitions

type; letter; A prepaid mark on a postal envelope

Ancestry of “литера”, step by step

Step	Language	Word	Meaning
1	Latin	littera	a letter of the alphabet; handwriting; letter,...
2	Latin	lītera	—
3	Old Latin	leitera	—
4	Proto-Indo-European	h₂leyH-	to smear
5	Proto-Indo-European	leyh₂-	to die, disapear; to avoid, elude, decline,...

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