The word 'tittle' originates from the Latin 'titulus', meaning an inscription or heading. It entered Old English as 'titul' and later evolved into Middle English as 'titil' or 'title', initially carrying the broader sense of a written mark or sign. Through semantic narrowing in Medieval Latin and later in English, it came to refer specifically to the tiny diacritical marks in writing, such as the dot on an 'i'. This evolution from a general term for a label to a hyper-specific term for a minute graphic detail exemplifies how language can refine a concept to an extreme degree of precision, preserving the ancient link between marking and meaning.

This word is a simplex. It is a loanword from Latin via Old English and Middle English, with its core form remaining intact. The Latin root 'titulus' meant a label, inscription, or title. The diminutive form 'titulus' evolved in Medieval Latin to refer specifically to a small stroke or accent mark.