Since it’s widely accepted that the word “literally” can be used to add emphasis, we need another word that can be used when you want to make it clear that you really mean “literally” in the original sense.
In German we have multiple different words that mean “literally”, not all of which can be used for emphasis. There are the phrases “im wahrsten Sinne des Wortes” (“in the truest sense of the word”) as well as “etwas wörtlich nehmen” (“to take something literally”), both of which are usually not used for emphasis, presumably also because they don’t nearly fit into the grammatical construction of a sentence in a way that would produce emphasis. Then there is “buchstäblich” (roughly “letterish”), which means the same thing as literally and can be used in both ways, as it’s an adverb. But then there is “wortwörtlich” (roughly “word-wordly”), which is also an adverb and grammatically fits into the same position, but I’ve never heard it being used for emphasis.
Language is weird.
Nope.
“No cap fr fr”
Or just improve your vocabulary.
You know of a word that satisfies OP’s criteria and you’re not going to share it?
It’s not just one word. You use the appropriate adjective for the sentence. It’s many words.
Or just leave out words like literally as they do
literallyabsolutely nothing.Obviously, you use the word that expresses what you intend to express. The question is what that word would be when you want to express “literally” in the strict dictionary definition sense without ambiguity.
Well, since it took the place of actually, why not use it?
Then that word will just get used sarcastically.
No cap fr fr
I would argue that, uses of literally, in the literal sense, in common language, is rarely used, any more. Mostly because, If you have to add “believe me” at the end of your sentence, it makes you seem sus. And “literally”, in common language, is usually added to the end, in the same way, the sarcastic, and facetious, presentations use. So we’ve adopted different signifiers, mostly, anyway. People usually say, "you are not going to believe what happened to me today ". Even the sarcastic etc uses are dying out, in a time when, extreme positions aren’t, easily taken at face value for being over the top, or, easily definable as sarcasm etc, which is what sarcasm relies heavily on. I think, all the extreme stuff going on, is making it almost impossible to even use literally, in almost either application. I’m sad! It’s such a fun word to say.
I agree with what you’re saying but your commas are literally killing me.
Stop reading, so fast, and the. inertia: wont hurt; you ?! when,;:. you stop*'";'?!
“Literally” used as an intensifier dates back to the 1700s, but the prescriptivist controversy about it is very recent. People can understand that a word can have different meanings and have different uses. Except for prescriptivists, apparently.
Isn’t that just figuratively?
It is
The correct answer is to make incorrect usage of the word “literally” socially unacceptable. Be fucking mean about it.
Welcome to languages, where the definitions aren’t static, and the meanings change over time.
This is brought to you by the word angnail. Yes angnail, not hangnail. Okay fine it’s hangnail now.
Linguistic drift happens over generations, this is just illiteracy
So you mean, if this use of ‘literally’ had been around for, say, several centuries, you’d consider it acceptable?
Lol still no, the article you linked makes it clear that in all that time the situation hasn’t changed at all, the primary definition is the same and the secondary usage is the same and the criticism is the same
Your comment was purely about these changes taking generations to happen, this is something that has been in the work since the 18th century. It’s a perfectly typical change, not a sudden one based in illiteracy.
Change is expected and important.
The word literal is an equally important job to do.
It’s fine to make literal not mean literal, but then instead of needing a word that means not literal, we’re gonna need a word that means literal.
Alright, guess maybe it becomes literally literal or not literally literal.
Come to think of it, maybe we should just say not literally literal for things that aren’t actually literal and are just intending to be emphasized.
frfr /s
I will repeat literally twice to convey i mean actually literally. “No, it’s literally literally green”.
“Unequivocally”
I literally only use “literally” when I literally mean “literally”.
Thank you
Bless you
The word you’re looking for is “literally.”
Wait until you find out where the word very comes from.
Verily the veritas may surprise you.
Edit: and literally does not even literally mean “opposite of figuratively” — it literally means “by the letter” — as in literature — as any literate person knows.
I may be a little amused by it, but not verily surprised.
Its a very bemusing experience ;)
I am nonplussed.
Yeah, literally
The word they’re looking for literally is “literally”.
Not metaphorically
Unfortunately Merriam-Webster disagrees.
Dictionary compilation is descriptive, not prescriptive.
They don’t “disagree” with anyone. They just report on how words are being used.
You can’t get into an argument with a dictionary, no matter how hard you try.
If you feel that it’s unfortunate, why take their side? I’ve found that no confusion is caused by using it the correct way. If any might be, it is at least in service of a noble cause.
Language evolves and, more ever than Merriam-Webster, the speakers and writers get to decide what words mean. While that does apply to you not wanting it mean that, you are swimming against the current in this case.
Linguistic drift happens over generations, this is just illiteracy
Swimming against the current is how all social progress is made.
Right, I’m aware of this and see nothing wrong with it.
- Mirriam-webster isn’t a great dictionary. It’s in the name.
- Dictionaries don’t say what’s correct; only what’s popular.
