Litterae

Litterae is a Latin noun, the plural of litera, and one of the common terms for letters in the broad sense. In classical usage, litera itself means a character of the alphabet, but litterae is used as a collective term for letters as written signs and for writing more generally. The word also extended to mean literature or learned writing, and in such senses it could refer to books, letters, or scholarly works as a body of literature. In late antiquity and medieval Latin, litterae could denote written correspondence or official documents, and the phrase litterae missiveae appears in some texts to mean personal letters; more commonly epistola is used for a letter, while litterae can emphasize the material written form or the channel of communication.

In the phrase litterae humanae (the humanities) litterae denotes literature and learning as a field, especially classical studies, philosophy, rhetoric, history. The term survives in modern times chiefly in scholarly Latin and in the names of programs or courses that emphasize classical letters and humanities, e.g., "Litterae Humaniores" as a Latin designation for humanities studies at some universities.

Outside Latin scholarship, litterae rarely appears in everyday language, but the word still appears in historical or literary contexts and in phrases that evoke classical learning. In sum, litterae embraces both the concrete letters of the alphabet and the abstract notion of literature and learning.