2836: Littera -ly an Etymological Mystery Sep 25, 2024

The etymology of the Latin term 'littera' presents a conundrum that raises questions about its morphological lineage. Traditionally traced back to the Old Latin form 'leitera' and purportedly linked to the Proto-Indo-European root *h₂leyH- (“smear”), this connection is complicated by the absence of expected morphological forms. Particularly problematic is the assumption of a plural form of the adjective *lei-tos; such a derivation would not align with established patterns for forming participles and gerunds in Latin. Instead, the past participle of 'linō', 'litus', suggests a divergence from the hypothesized *leitos, putting the proposed etymological timeline on shaky ground.

This led to what is known as the littera rule, where a long vowel followed by a short consonant led to a short vowel and a geminated consonant, so in this case from lītus to littus. Thus, while the connection to 'linō' might seem plausible, the available linguistic data fails to provide a coherent account of 'littera's' origins, necessitating a reconsideration of its historical development.