letter

Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary

Wikipedia

Contents 1 English 1.1 Etymology 1.2 Pronunciation 1.3 Noun 1.3.1 Hyponyms 1.3.2 Derived terms 1.3.3 Related terms 1.3.4 Translations 1.4 Verb 1.5 External links 2 Dutch 2.1 Pronunciation 2.2 Noun 2.2.1 Derived terms 3 Swedish 3.1 Noun

[edit] English

Wikipedia

[edit] Etymology

Middle English letter, lettre from Old French lettre from Latin littera (“‘letter of the alphabet"; in pl., "epistle’”) from Etruscan from Ancient Greek διφθερᾱ (diphtherā) "tablet". Displaced native Middle English bocstaf, bookstave "letter, alphabetic symbol" (from Old English bōcstæf "alphabetic symbol, written character"), Middle English bocrune, bocroune "letter, written character" (from Old English bōc "book" + rūn "letter, rune"), Middle English writrune, writroune "letter, document" (from Old English writ "letter, epistle" + rūn "letter, rune"), Old English ǣrendbōc "letter, message", Old English ǣrendġewrit "letter, written message".

[edit] Pronunciation

• (RP) IPA: /ˈlɛt.ə/, SAMPA: /"lEt.@/
• (Aus) IPA: /ˈlet.ə/, SAMPA: /"let.@/
• (GenAm) IPA: /ˈlɛt.ɚ/, SAMPA: /"lEt.@`/
  •  Audio (US)^{help, file}
• Rhymes: -ɛtə(r)
• Hyphenation: let‧ter

[edit] Noun

letter (plural letters)

1. A symbol in an alphabet.

   There are 26 letters in the English alphabet.

2. A written message. See also note.

   I wrote a letter to my sister about my life.

3. Literal meaning.

   "Some MEPs from some countries may have pocketed £2m more than I have by observing the letter but not the spirit of the rules." - [1]

4. (US, uncountable) A size of paper, 8½ in × 11 in (215.9 mm × 279.4 mm, US paper sizes rounded to the nearest 5 mm)
5. (Canadian, uncountable) A size of paper, 215 mm × 280 mm

[edit] Hyponyms

• epistle
• missive

[edit] Derived terms

[edit] Related terms

• literal
• literacy
• literary
• literate
• literature

[edit] Translations

[edit] Verb

to letter (third-person singular simple present letters, present participle lettering, simple past and past participle lettered)

1. to print, inscribe, or paint letters on something.

[edit] External links

• letter in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
• letter in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911

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[edit] Dutch

Wikipedia ^nl

[edit] Pronunciation

•  audio^{help, file}

[edit] Noun

letter f. (plural letters or letteren, diminutive lettertje, diminutive plural lettertjes)

1. letter (letter of the alphabet)

[edit] Derived terms

• letteren (literature)
• geletterd (literate)
• letterkunde
• letterlijk
• lettertype n.
• letterwerk n.
• letterwoord n.
• letterzetter m.
• beginletter
• drukletter
• eindletter
• hoofdletter
• kenletter
• tussenletter
• voorletter

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[edit] Swedish

[edit] Noun

letter

1. indefinite plural of lett