littera

Merriam-Webster tells us that the root of "obliterate" comes from the Latin word "littera", for "letter," so that obliterate really means to destroy the alphabet -- to erase not only every word but the very capacity to create words.

John Eskow: The Obliterator: Hillary Channels Her Inner Doctor Strangelove 2008

Latin word littera, meaning a letter of the alphabet.

English Literature for Boys and Girls

In Latin paleography, from the thirteenth to the fifteenth century, a certain style of writing was called littera formata, but only when it was used for the copying of important, biblical and liturgical texts, and had a ceremonial character.

Dictionary of the History of Ideas W. TATARKIEWICZ 1968

Literary is also Latin, from littera, meaning a letter of the alphabet.

Archive 2009-06-24 Book Nerd 2009

Literary is also Latin, from littera, meaning a letter of the alphabet.

Linguistical musings: Bookish, Bibliophilic, Literary Book Nerd 2009

a similar handwriting called littera beneventana, characterized by letters with long ascenders and by exceptional shapes -- e. g., the a in the form of the Greek omega, the E and J with a loop like that of the O.

The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume 11: New Mexico-Philip 1840-1916 1913

Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French, from Medieval Latin litteralis, from Latin, of a letter, from littera letter

The Volokh Conspiracy » Top Ten Reasons Obama Won the Nobel Peace Prize 2009

From this perspective one can understand the formulation of a medieval couplet that at first sight appears rather disconcerting: littera gesta docet - quid credas allegoria cf.

Archive 2008-09-07 papabear 2008

From this perspective one can understand the formulation of a medieval couplet that at first sight appears rather disconcerting: littera gesta docet - quid credas allegoria cf.

Zenit: Benedict XVI on the Roots of European Culture papabear 2008

The term “literature” is derived from the Latin litter - atura which, in turn comes from the root littera, letter.

LITERATURE AND ITS COGNATES REN 1968