LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · femininefirst declension

litterātūra

litterātūra f (genitive litterātūrae)
Classical[lɪt.tɛ.raːˈtuː.ra]Ecclesiastical[lit.te.raˈtuː.ra]

Meaning

  1. lettering; alphabet
  2. grammar, philology
  3. learning, erudition

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativelitterātūralitterātūrae
genitivelitterātūraelitterātūrārum
dativelitterātūraelitterātūrīs
accusativelitterātūramlitterātūrās
ablativelitterātūrālitterātūrīs
vocativelitterātūralitterātūrae

littĕrātūra (lītĕr-), ae, f. litterae.
I. A writing formed of letters: litteratura constat ex notis litterarum et ex eo, in quo imprimuntur illae notae, Cic. Part. 7, 26.— *
B. Transf.: Graeca, the Greek alphabet, Tac. A. 11, 13.—
II. The science of language, grammar, philology: grammatice, quam in Latinum transferentes litteraturam vocaverunt, Quint. 2, 1, 4; cf. id. 2, 14, 3: prima illa litteratura, per quam pueris elementa traduntur, Sen. Ep. 88, 20.—
III. Learning, erudition: saecularis, Tert. Spect. 18.

Origins

Proto-Indo-European *h₂leyH-der. Old Latin leitera Latin līterader.? Proto-Hellenic *dipʰtʰérā? Ancient Greek διφθέρᾱ (diphthérā)bor. Etruscan [Term?]bor.? Latin littera Proto-Indo-European *-tew-? Proto-Indo-European *-r-eh₂? Latin -tūra Latin litterātūra From littera (“letter”), from Etruscan, from Ancient Greek διφθέρᾱ (diphthérā, “tablet”). Further etymology uncertain.

Descendants
  • Catalanliteratura
  • Englishliterature
  • Frenchlittérature
  • GermanLiteratur
  • Italianletteratura
  • Occitanliteratura
  • Portugueseliteratura
  • Romanianliteratură
  • Spanishliteratura
  • Corsicanlitteratura

Quick answers

What does litterātūra mean in Latin?
litterātūra, a noun, means “lettering; alphabet; grammar, philology”.
What is the genitive of litterātūra?
The genitive singular is litterātūrae. litterātūra is feminine, first declension.
How do you pronounce litterātūra?
In classical Latin, [lɪt.tɛ.raːˈtuː.ra]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [lit.te.raˈtuː.ra].