LETTER (through Fr. lettre from

See also:

• LAT

Lat. littera or litera, letter of the

See also:

• ALPHABET (see also WRITING)

alphabet; the origin of the Latin word is obscure; it has probably no connexion with the

See also:

• ROOT (late O.E. rot, adopted from Scand., cf. Norw. and Swed. rot, Dan. rod; the true O.E. word was wyrt, plant, represented in Ger. Wurz or Wurzel; the ultimate root is the same in both words, and is seen in Lat. radix)
• ROOT, ELIHU (1845– )

root of linere, to smear, i.e. with

See also:

• WAX

wax, for an inscription with a stilus)  , a character or symbol expressing any one of the elementary sounds into which a spoken word may be analysed, one of the members of an alphabet . As applied to things written, the word follows mainly the meanings. of the Latin plural litterae, the most common meaning attaching to the word being that of a written communication from one person to another, an epistle (q.v.) . For the means adopted to secure the transmission of letters see POST AND POSTAL SERVICE . The word is also, particularly in the plural, applied to many legal and formal written documents, as in letters patent, letters rogatory and dismissory, &c . The Latin use of the plural is also followed in the employment of "letters" in the sense of literature (q.v.) or learning .