Lettow

English

Alternative forms

• Lettowe, Littowe

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English Lettowe, Lettow, from Middle Low German Lettouwen (compare Middle High German Lettowen, Littowen), from Old East Slavic Литъва (Litŭva) or its etymon Old Lithuanian *Lietuva.

Proper noun

Lettow

1. (obsolete) Lithuania (a country in northeastern Europe).
   • 1599, Thomas of Walſingham, “The voyage of Henry Earle of Derbie, after Duke of Hereford, and laſtly king of England […] ”, in Richard Hakluyt, transl., The Principal Nauigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoueries of the English Nation, […], 2nd edition, London: […] George Bishop, Ralph Newberie, and Robert Barker, →OCLC, page 123:

     The Citie alſo which is called Wil or Vilna, into the caſtle whereof the king of Lettow named Skirgalle fled foꝛ his ſauegard, was, by the valour of the ſayd Earle especially and of his followers, ſurpꝛiſed and taken.

   • 1632, A Short Survey or Hiſtory of the Kingdome of Sveden […] , London: Michael Sparke, page 26:

     […] and finally in the South parts thereof (Livonia) they vſe the Letticke speech, or of the countrey of Lettow, which the people Eureles likewise vſe, the which is as it were a hodge-podge of many ſeverall languages mingled together.

   • 1682, John Milton, “CHAP. IV. The Succeſſion of Moſcovia Dukes and Emperours taken out of their Chronicles by a Polack with ſome later Additions”, in A Brief Hiſtory of Moſcovia […] , London: M. Fleſher for Brabazon Aylmer, pages 60-61:

     Shuſky who ſucceeded him reports in a Letter to King James otherwiſe of him; that his right name was Gryſhca the Son of Boughdan; that to eſcape puniſhment for Villanies done, he turn'd Fryar, and fell at last to the Black art; and fearing that the Metropolitan intended therefore to impriſon him, fled into Lettow; where by counſel of Sigiſmund the Poland King, he began to call himſelf Demetry of Ouglitts.

Middle English

Proper noun

Lettow

1. Alternative form of Lettowe