English → Latin
“literature” in Latin
The English word literature itself goes back to Latin littera, through literatura.
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
literature
litterae; litterarum monumenta (including litterary documents); litterarum cognitio et ratio (knowledge of history and antiquities, also philologia): Latin litterature, litterae Latinae; monumenta Latina: skilled in Latin and Greek litterature, litteris Latinis et Graecis ductus: to promote the interests of litterature, litterarum studia illustrare et excitare (after Cic., Tusc., 1, 3, 5): polite or elegant litterature, humanitatis studia (Cic.; but ☞ not litterae humaniores).
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for literature?
- The usual Latin words for “literature” are littera, poliō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.
Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.