Search over 40,000 articles from the original, classic Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th Edition.
|
See also:LETTER (through Fr. lettre from See also:Lat. littera or litera, letter of the See also:alphabet; the origin of the Latin word is obscure; it has probably no connexion with the See also:root of linere, to smear, i.e. with See also:wax, for an inscription with a stilus) , a See also:character or See also:symbol expressing any one of the elementary sounds into which a spoken word may be analysed, one of the members of an See also:alphabet . As applied to things written, the word follows mainly the meanings. of the Latin plural litterae, the most See also:common meaning attaching to the word being that of a written communication from one See also:person to another, an See also:epistle (q.v.) . For the means adopted to secure the transmission of letters see See also: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 . |
|
|
[back] JEAN FRANCOIS LESUEUR (1760 or 1763–1837) |
[next] LETTER OF CREDIT |
There are no comments yet for this article.
Do not copy, download, transfer, or otherwise replicate the site content in whole or in part.
Links to articles and home page are encouraged.