Literature (nonfiction)

Tablet V of the Epic of Gilgamesh. The tablet dates back to the old Babylonian period, 2003-1595 BCE. From Mesopotamia, Iraq. The Sulaymaniyah Museum, Iraq.

Literature, in its broadest sense, consists of any written productions.

More restrictively, it refers to those deemed to have artistic or intellectual value, or which deploy language in ways that differ from ordinary usage.

Its Latin root literatura/litteratura (derived itself from littera: letter or handwriting) was used to refer to all written accounts, though contemporary definitions extend the term to include texts that are spoken or sung (oral literature).

Literature can be classified according to whether it is fiction (nonfiction) or non-fiction (nonfiction) and whether it is poetry or prose; it can be further distinguished according to major forms such as the novel, short story, or drama; and works are often categorized according to historical periods or their adherence to certain aesthetic features or expectations (genre).

The concept has changed meaning over time.

Nowadays it can broaden to include non-written verbal art forms, and thus it is difficult to agree on its origin, which can be paired with that of language or writing itself.

Developments in print technology have allowed an evergrowing distribution and proliferation of written works, culminating in electronic literature.

In the News

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  Cherenkov radiation is commonly used to advance the plot in high-energy literature.

Fiction cross-reference

• High-energy literature

Nonfiction cross-reference

• Fiction (nonfiction)
• Illeism (nonfiction)
• Non-fiction (nonfiction)
• Satire (nonfiction)

External links:

• Literature @ Wikipedia
• History of literature @ Wikipedia