By Rebekah OttoRecently the wordsmiths of the United States have availed themselves once again to decry the figurative use of the word听literally. This particular spate of analysis finds its origins in a Reddit post titled, “We did it guys, we finally killed English,” which featured an image of Google’s definition for the word.听Since that popular post, journalists and language experts have added their voices to the loudening din.
罢丑别听听poster puts the blame for killing English on all of us, the living, but in the wake of public outrage, language experts have pointed out that this sense of听濒颈迟别谤补濒濒测听is nothing new.
The history of literally
Let’s trace the history of this meandering adverb. The word听literally听originally meant “related to letters” as in听听from 1689: “and in the Hebrew the words are听literally,听The King of Moab, the first.” Around the same time, the word began to be used interchangeably with 鈥渁ctually.鈥� In 1698, Puritan preacher听听remarked, “then these things which he affirmed of himself were not听literally听true, but only听figuratively.”听By 1839, when听, the figurative sense (the sense that the reading public is up in arms about today) was embedded in the language: “his looks were very haggard, and his limbs and body听literally听worn to the bone…”
Meaning inversion in words is not uncommon. Widespread usage of the word听bad听to mean 鈥渙utstandingly excellent; first-rate鈥� is one such example. More recently, the word听definitely听has begun fluctuating in meaning.听听published an article in June entitled, “Bachelor听Host Releases Dating App Because We Definitely Need More.”听No dictionary has yet recorded this sense, and no one seems incensed about this linguistic twist.听Definitely听seems to now be undergoing a shift in meaning and becoming an intensifier in an ironic context, echoing the much disputed linguistic development of literally. (Perhaps people are waiting for dictionaries to make this figurative sense of听诲别蹿颈苍颈迟别濒测听“official” before they once again pronounce the English language dead.)
The figurative literally
So why do people hate the figurative literally so much?
础蝉听听noted, “One reason that听literally听gets singled out for special criticism is that we all learn in school the difference between听濒颈迟别谤补濒听补苍诲听figurative听meaning. So it grates on the ear when a figurative turn of speech is given the ‘literal’ treatment.”
This debate probably recurs because it is excessively accessible. It’s an easy editorial peeve to have because a) it’s ubiquitous and b) it’s a straightforward contradiction. At听Gizmodo, Casey Chan tells us, “I’m totally guilty of like this make believe secondary definition too.” In the same sentence, he calls something “make believe” and acknowledges that it’s real. The figurative use of听literally听is not a unicorn; it’s a horse. The contradiction of听literally听is easy to explain to a large audience, easier than why dictionary editors hem and haw over the use of the word “etc.” or how adverbial phrases are punctuated.听This type of simplistic gripe satisfies the need to feel smarter than someone else without thinking too deeply about how language operates. This figurative use has been around for a while, and it鈥檚 not going anywhere, so let鈥檚 start having a different conversation about it.
Literally intensifies
Not only does the figurative use of the word听literally听not bother me a pinch, I must confess that I actually like it, or at least I like its impact. I鈥檇 argue that when juxtaposed with seemingly outrageous but accurate statements, the original meaning becomes more effective exactly because it can also mean 鈥渇iguratively,鈥� and a listener must pause to determine which meaning the speaker intends. A guest on听, discussing a business agreement with a real and actual $1,000,000,000 price tag said: “That is听literally听the billion-dollar question.” In this way,听literally听is a more effective intensifier than听really,听actually, or听absolutely. Today does the intensifying sense pack more of a punch because of the widespread figurative use?
黑料网 do you think about the uses of the word literally? Do you use it figuratively? Literally? As an intensifier?
