Letton
/ˈlɛtən/noun
A person from Latvia or the Latvian language, now chiefly a historical or rare English term.
Did you know?Letton entered English through European forms such as French letton and German Lettland, reflecting older Western naming traditions for the Baltic region.
Etymological Timeline
Medieval period
Baltic
latvji / latvieši
“Native Latvian names for the Latvian people; the deeper origin is uncertain.”
16th–17th Century
German
Lettland
“The land of the Letts, an older German name for Latvia.”
17th–18th Century
French
Letton
“Latvian; relating to Latvia or its people.”
18th Century
English
Letton
“A Latvian person or the Latvian language.”
Modern English
English
Latvian
“The standard modern English term, largely superseding Letton.”