"Literally" (Word Usage)

"Literally"

Language, the constantly evolving organism that it is, is transformed by many forces, one of the most powerful of which is the common adoption of what current standards consider an error. Also, although many teachers and professors believe this is a symptom of the times, where standards are lowering and attention to detail is lacking, the phenomenon is likely as old as standardized language itself. For instance, in the 19th century, some authors were criticized for using the term "necessities" where "necessaries" was the correct word for the job. Now, as you well know, "necessities" is the standard term, and "necessaries" has been all but forgotten.

However, since it is still the responsibility of educators, as the unofficial legislators of correct usage, to uphold the standards they have learned and set, you will undoubtedly be corrected and marked down for using certain terms the wrong way. Recently, one such term has become so pervasive that it is not recognized as an error by many, but I assure you that using it will likely make your teachers and professors shed at least a single tear, and I will admit it always makes my blood pressure rise a little when I hear it. The word is "literally," and while the word has some very useful applications, the most recent transformation it is undergoing threatens to undermine its meaning altogether.

"Literally" is closely related to the term "literal," and while both sound like the words "literature" and "literary," they actually have an opposing meaning. "Literature" and "literary" both suggest forms or styles of expression, especially writing; both also suggest something is artistic and fictitious, and not likely to be scientific truth. "Literally," on the other hand, is used to suggest that something is completely true, that things are how you say they are. This meaning of the word is the antonym (the opposite) of "figuratively," which indicates the use of a figure of speech, and indicates that what is being said did not really happen.

Properly speaking, the word "literally" is used when you want to indicate that what you are saying is not being exaggerated or invented in any way. For example, if you saw an enormous orange at a science fair, you might later report to your friends, "I saw this orange at the science fair that was literally the size of my head!" Here, the word literally serves a useful purpose, because without it, people would assume that you were exaggerating. A second, more subtle and witty use of the word "literally" occurs when you want to take a well-known expression, and confer its literal meaning on it. In this example, a referee is speaking to a friend of his:

Referee: "At the party last night the first thing I did was wet my whistle!"

Friend: "Yeah, literally! Bob tells me he saw you swimming with your uniform and whistle on!"

To wet your whistle means to have a drink, usually alcoholic. Here, the referee is using the expression in an unexpected way. In this case, we expect him to be speaking of having a drink, but he literalizes the expression, creating a humorous effect.

There is, however, a new way of using "literally" which is based on a misconception of what the word actually means. The following example is telling: "The comedian was so funny I literally died laughing!" Now, the reason people use "literally" in this way is because they have mistaken the meaning of the word. In the correct examples above, "literally" is used to make certain the listener knows the speaker is not kidding, and it serves to intensify the statement, making it more powerful. As a result, people mistakenly assume that "literally" is merely an intensifying expression, and so use it in situations where it is impossible. In time, people who have heard others use it mistakenly adopt the new way of using it, and the term loses its specificity, as well as its original meaning. The process is underway and is likely irreversible, but if you are reading this, that means all hope has not yet been lost.