CultureAugust 16, 2026
literati
li-tuh-RAH-tee
Definition
The class of people who are well-educated and interested in literature and scholarly pursuits.
Etymology
Derived from the Latin word 'literati', which is the plural of 'literatus', meaning 'learned' or 'lettered'. It entered English in the 18th century to refer to the group of people who are part of the learned or literary elite.
In the news
The article uses the term to describe the rural intellectuals and scholars responsible for preserving Punjabi literary heritage through oral tradition, contrasting them with the urban educated class.
The language we left behind
Read the full article ↗The News Pakistan