letter

• n.手紙; 手紙、文章; 証明書; 文学、学習; 文学主義
• vt.で手紙を書く
• vi. 活字で手紙を書く
• n. （文字で）人名；（英文で）ライト

語源はラテン語の litera、手紙、文章。

letter

letter: [13] The distant ancestry of the word letter has never been satisfactorily explained. One possible candidate as a source that has been put forward is Greek diphthérai ‘writing tablets’. But the earliest precursor that can be positively identified is Latin littera. This meant ‘alphabetic symbol’, or in the plural ‘document’ and ‘epistle’. English acquired it via Old French lettre. Also from Latin littera are English literature and obliterate [16], which means etymologically ‘remove letters’.
=> literature, obliterate

letter (n.1)

c. 1200, "graphic symbol, alphabetic sign, written character," from Old French letre (10c., Modern French lettre) "character, letter; missive, note," in plural, "literature, writing, learning," from Latin littera (also litera) "letter of the alphabet," of uncertain origin, perhaps via Etruscan from Greek diphthera "tablet," with change of d- to l- as in lachrymose. In this sense it replaced Old English bocst?f, literally "book staff" (compare German Buchstabe "letter, character," from Old High German buohstab, from Proto-Germanic *bok-staba-m).

Latin littera also meant "a writing, document, record," and in plural litter? "a letter, epistle," a sense first attested in English early 13c., replacing Old English ?rendgewrit, literally "errand-writing." The Latin plural also meant "literature, books," and figuratively "learning, liberal education, schooling" (see letters). School letter in sports, attested by 1908, were said to have been first awarded by University of Chicago football coach Amos Alonzo Stagg. Expression to the letter "precisely" is from 1520s (earlier as after the letter). Letter-perfect is from 1845, originally in theater jargon, in reference to an actor knowing the lines exactly. Letter-press, in reference to matter printed from relief surfaces, is from 1840.

letter (v.)

"to write in letters," 1660s, from letter (n.1). Earlier it meant "to instruct" (mid-15c.). Related: Lettered; lettering.

letter (n.2)

"one who lets" in any sense, c. 1400, agent noun from let (v.).

1. The letter merely restated the law of the land.

この手紙は土地法を繰り返したにすぎない。

2.The letter was short-a simple recitation of their problem.

手紙は短く書かれている--彼らの問題を簡単に話しただけだ。

3.The things that stuck out were his cockiness and his four- letter words.

変わっているのは、彼の誇りと汚い言葉に満ちていることだ。

4.The letter showed horribly clearly the workings of a twisted mind.

その手紙は変質者の考え方をよく示している。

5.The spokesman said the tone of the letter was very friendly.

報道官は手紙の語調がとても友好的だと言っています。