Etymograph

English

letter

Letter comes from Middle English letter, from Old French letre, from Latin littera ‘letter of the alphabet; (plural) epistle’.

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CElittera‘letter of the alphabet; (plural) epistle’
  2. Old Frenchc. 842–1400letre
  3. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500letter
  4. Englishearliest quotation 1611same form

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CElittera‘letter of the alphabet; (plural) epistle’
  2. Old Frenchc. 842–1400letre
  3. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500letter
  4. Englishearliest quotation 1611same form

Earliest quotation: 1611, The Holy Bible, London: […] Robert Barker: “And a superscription also was written ouer him in…”

Linked words

through Latin littera ‘letter of the alphabet"’

literally, literature, literary, literal, illiterate, literate, literati, 8 more

Another origin of letter

  1. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500letere
  2. Englishtodayletter

Today it means

noun A symbol in an alphabet.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Latin littera / letter

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