littera

Internationalism, ultimately from Latin littera.

• IPA^(key): /ˈlitːerɑ/, [ˈlit̪ːe̞rɑ̝]
• Rhymes: -itːerɑ
• Syllabification^(key): lit‧te‧ra
• Hyphenation^(key): lit‧te‧ra

littera

1. identification letter, ordinal letter synonym ▲

   Synonym: järjestyskirjain

   1. (numismatics) a letter used to distinguish different banknotes, coins, etc. of the same denomination
   2. (rail transport) identification code of a class of rolling stock
2. (finance) denomination (of a stock certificate)
3. (accounting) phase of a project, etc. (in billing, invoicing, etc.; any unit which may be billed for, often as part of a larger project)
4. (historical) a free (train) ticket or ticket rebate offered to military transportation or to conscripts

• “littera”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎^[4] (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 3 July 2023

• IPA^(key): /ˈlit.te.ra/

littera (plural litteras)

1. letter (of the alphabet)
2. letter (an epistle)

• lītera

Unknown. Two possibilities include:

• From earlier lītera, the existence of which is disputed,^[1] with lengthening of the consonant (sometimes called the littera rule^[2]), from Old Latin leitera (attested ca. 122 BC,^[3] argued by Ernout & Meillet to be a false etymological attraction to lino^[4]), from a plural form of earlier adj. *lei-tos (cf. opera from opus), related to Latin linō (“smear”) and Proto-Italic *linō (“smear”),^[5] ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂leyH- (“smear”). A variation of this is to reconstruct the PIE root as *leyt- (“to scratch”).^[6]

However, De Vaan points out that the past participle from lino is actually litus with a short i and, lacking any other traces of *leitos, says the scenario is "morphologically unconvincing".^[1]

• Alternatively, perhaps via Etruscan [Term?] from (or related to, as if from a common source) Ancient Greek διφθέρᾱ (diphthérā, “leather; writing material”) which is claimed by Hesychius to be used to name tablets as well,^[4] of unknown ultimate origin.

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [ˈlɪt.tɛ.ra]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [ˈlit.te.ra]

littera f (genitive litterae); first declension

1. letter (of the alphabet)
2. (metonymic) handwriting quotations ▼
   • 68 BCE – 44 BCE, Cicero, Epistulae ad Atticum 7.2:

     Tam Alexidis manum amabam, quod tam prope accedebat ad similitudinem tuae litterae; non amabam, quod indicabat te non valere.

     While I was liking the handwriting of Alexis for it resembled so closely a likeness to your own handwriting, I wasn't liking it for it was indicating that you were not well.

3. (usually in the plural) letter, epistle

   Litteras resignare.

   To unseal (or open) a letter.

4. (usually in the plural) literature

   Abest historia litteris nostris.

   The story is missing from our literature.

   Sī versūs hōrum duōrum poetārum neglegētis, magnā parte litterārum carēbitis.

   If you neglect the verses of these two poets, you will miss a great part of literature.

5. (usually in the plural, by extension) letters, knowledge of literature, learning, scholarship
6. (usually in the plural) books (often a collection of letters, epistles, accounts, records, etc.)
7. (usually in the plural) record(s), account(s), document(s)
8. (usually in the plural) edict, ordinance

   Praetoris litterae.

   A praetor's edict.

   Litteras revocavit.

   A letter of appointment. (a commission)

• litterae missae means "a letter sent by a person" and litterae allatae a "a letter received" hence, liber litterarum missarum et allatarum meant a letter-book.

First-declension noun.

• “littera”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “littera”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891), An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• "littera", in Charles du Fresne du Cange, Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)
• “littera”, in Gaffiot, Félix (1934), Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
• Carl Meißner; Henry William Auden (1894), Latin Phrase-Book‎^[5], London: Macmillan and Co. 59 phrases
• littera in Ramminger, Johann (16 July 2016 (last accessed)), Neulateinische Wortliste: Ein Wörterbuch des Lateinischen von Petrarca bis 1700‎^[6], pre-publication website, 2005-2016
• littera, in ΛΟΓΕΙΟΝ [Logeion] Dictionaries for Ancient Greek and Latin (in English, French, Spanish, German, Dutch and Chinese), University of Chicago, since 2011
• Blažek, Václav (2018), “Toward the Etymology of Latin littera”, in Graeco-Latina Brunensia, volume 23, number 2, page 5

• tāliter

• litt. (abbreviation)

Unadapted borrowing from Latin littera (“letter”). First attested in 1535^[1].

Examples (class, code, designation, model, number, or type)
r – radius D – a door (in blueprints) YV – exterior wall (in blueprints) STPR – a downpipe (in blueprints) BP – fire hydrant X – an electric railcar K – designation for trains compatible with Danish railway systems X31K – an electric railcar model operating in Sweden and Denmark

littera c

1. A sequence of letters (and sometimes digits), or a single such character, used as a designation; a class, code, model, number, or type. coordinate term ▲quotations ▼

   Coordinate term: nummer (“number”)

   • 1905 January 2, “Karlskrona–Vexiö jernväg”, in Carlskrona Weckoblad, page 2:

     Karlskrona–Vexiö jernväg har fått tillökning i sin vagnpark med omkring ett tjugotal öppna godsvagnar littera N 1, som anlände till Vexiö för omkring 14 dagar sedan, samt 10 st. täckta godsvagnar littera G 1, af hvilka 7 förut anländt till Vexiö och de tre återstående ankommit i lördags.

     The Karlskrona–Vexiö railway has received an increase in its wagon stock of about twenty open goods wagons, letter N 1, which arrived at Vexiö about 14 days ago, as well as 10 covered goods wagons, letter G 1, of which 7 had previously arrived at Vexiö and the three remaining arrived on Saturday.

   • 2014 February 20, ztenlund, “Världens bästa lok”, in Fotografiska rökringar (blog), Fotosidan:

     Därför växlades loken sedermera ned till 160 km/h igen och återfick littera Rc6.

     Therefore, the locomotives were subsequently re-geared back down to 160 km/h and regained the Rc6 designation.

   • 2021 November 25, “Kiruna gästas av Järnvägsmuseet och LKAB i kraftfullt samarbete”, in LKAB:

     Ångloket littera R, eller R-loket, byggdes enkom för behovet av kraft till Malmbanan.

     The steam locomotive class R, or the R locomotive, was built solely to meet the need for power on the Iron Ore Line.

• “littera”, in Svenska Akademiens ordbok [Dictionary of the Swedish Academy] (in Swedish)