literature: [14] Latin littera meant ‘letter’, and was the source of English letter. From it was derived literātus ‘having knowledge of letters’, hence ‘educated, learned’ (source of English literate [15]); and this formed the basis of the further derivative litterātūra, which denoted ‘writing formed with letters’, and by extension ‘learning, grammar’. English took it over partly direct, partly via French littérature. From the same source comes English literal [14]. => letter, literal, obliterate
