litterarum

Litterarum is the genitive plural form of the Latin noun littera, meaning a single letter of the alphabet or a written letter, and by extension literature or the body of letters. In classical Latin, littera designates an individual character; its plural litterae refers to multiple letters, while litterarum expresses “of letters” or “of literature” in possessive or classificatory phrases.

In scholarly and literary Latin, litterarum appears most often in phrases that designate a field of study or a collection of letters. Common examples include studia litterarum, meaning studies of letters or humanities, and, in some contexts, litterarum humanarum, used to denote the humanities more broadly. The expression ars litterarum (literally “the art of letters”) is found in various medieval and early modern writings to signal the craft or discipline associated with letters, literature, or scholarly culture. During the Middle Ages and Renaissance, phrases containing litterarum were employed in naming faculties, curricula, or institutions devoted to literary and humanistic topics.

In modern scholarship, litterarum is encountered primarily in historical, philological, or Latin-language sources. It is not typically used as an English term outside such contexts, except when quoting Latin expressions or studying the vocabulary of Latin authors. The form underscores the classical division between the sciences and the liberal arts, with litterarum serving as a traditional banner for the humanities or the study of letters.

See also littera, litterae, studia litterarum, studia humanitatis.