English
literatus
Literatus comes from Latin litterātus ‘learned, educated, scholarly, literate’, and goes back to littera ‘letter’.
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CElittera‘letter’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CElitterātusas līterātus‘learned, educated, scholarly, literate’
- Englishearliest quotation 1823literatus
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CElittera‘letter’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CElitterātusas līterātus‘learned, educated, scholarly, literate’
- Englishearliest quotation 1823literatus
Earliest quotation: 1823, Thomas De Quincey, Letters to a Young Man whose Education has been Neglected. L: “Now, we are to consider that our bright ideal…”
Linked words
through Latin littera ‘letter’
through Latin litterātus ‘learned, educated, scholarly, literate’
Today it means
noun A learned person; especially one acquainted with literature.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Latin littera / literatus