Literate
/ˈlɪtərət/noun
Able to read and write, or well-educated in a particular field.
Did you know?It comes from Latin *littera* (“letter”), a root tied to the spread of writing culture in Rome, where being able to handle letters meant access to power, law, and memory.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*leǵ-
“to gather, collect, pick out”
Latin
Latin
littera
“letter of the alphabet; writing; a document”
Late Latin
Latin
litterātus
“educated, learned; furnished with letters”
Middle English
English
litterat
“educated; acquainted with letters”
Modern English
English
literate
“able to read and write; educated”
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