Letter
/ˈlɛtər/noun
A written message or a character of an alphabet.
Did you know?The word ultimately passed through Latin and Greek from a Semitic term for a writing mark, and in medieval Europe letters were so tied to literacy that they became the basic unit of written language.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
PS
*l-ʔ-p
“a mark or sign used in writing”
Phoenician
Pho
𐤋𐤐 (lāp / lāp̄)
“an ox, and later the name of a letter shape and sound”
Ancient Greek
GR
γράμμα (grámma)
“a written character, letter, or piece of writing”
Latin
Lat
littera
“a letter of the alphabet; a written communication”
Old French
OF
letre
“a letter; written document”
Middle English
ME
letter
“a written message or alphabetic character”
Explore more surprising origins