Literally …

Our atrocious use of language is a common phenomenon, and worse still becoming more acceptable day by day. From misuse of words to non-standard sentence structures we haven’t spared any branch of linguistics. Often we defend ourselves by saying that English language is flexible and dynamic but this isn’t a justification; I choose the prescriptivism path.

Let’s explore a bit of semantics today; the meaning of some words in English has evolved sometime due to ignorant or careless usage. Sometimes someone has just learnt a new word and they want to use it in every phrase they utter. While such change maybe inevitable, it should be nipped in the bud. Use of words in ways that are antithetical to the actual meaning not only alters with the clarity of the word meaning but also destroys the aesthetic beauty of language.  

One such word is “literally”. Literally is misused in the sense that it is either used incorrectly or unnecessarily. Worse still, literally is most of the times used to mean the opposite of what it is supposed to; using literally to mean figuratively while these two words share an antonymous semantic relationship is wrong in as much as language changes. It is like saying hot while you mean cold without telling us it is opposite day!

Let’s struggle and get this right; no way are you literally exploding with excitement because someone surprised you on your birthday! You were literally figuratively dying of laughter as you watched your favourite stand-up comedian!

©Cyanide&Happiness (explosim.net)

If something is literally happening it is actually happening. I know someone will say it is used for exaggerating or stressing a point but it is not really the best of ways to do so! Striving to sound sophisticated and people also use it is even more catastrophic because where I come from people say literally even when they mean literary (Let’s not go there now please!)

©theoatmeal.com