2020-09-25 ศัพท์ ที่มักสับสน ชุด F – figuratively & literally

Revision F

2020-09-25

ศัพท์ ที่มักสับสน ชุด F – figuratively & literally

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Dictionary.com

ออกเสียง “Figurative” = ‘FIG-yer-uh-tiv’

ออกเสียง “Literally” = ‘LIT-er-uh-lee’

Abused, Confused, & Misused Words

literally

in a literal manner; word for word: literally translated; actually; without exaggeration or inaccuracy: The platoon was literally wiped out in the explosion.

Not to be confused with:

actually – an actual or existing fact; really; genuinely, without exaggeration: The deceased was actually frightened to death.

virtually – for the most part; almost completely; just about: He was virtually scared out of his wits. [Literally, like virtually, is widely used as an intensifier meaning “in effect,” which contradictsthe earlier meaning of “actually, without exaggeration.” Virtually is often used to mean “actually” when its definition is “for practical purposes though not in name.”]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language,

Usage Note: For more than a hundred years, critics have remarked on the incoherence of using literally in a way that suggests the exact opposite of its primary sense of "in a manner that accords with the literal sense of the words."

In 1926, for example, H.W. Fowler deplored the example "The 300,000 Unionists ... will be literally thrown to the wolves." The practice reflects a tendency to use certain adverbs, like completely and unbelievably, as general intensifiers, without calling to mind the primary sense of the adjective from which the adverb is made.

In this regard, literally is very similar to the adverb really, whose intensive useoften has nothing to do with what is "real," as in They really dropped the ball in marketing that product.

With regard to literally, the Usage Panel supports the traditional view. In our 2004 survey, only 23 percent of the Panel accepted the following sentence, in which literally undercuts the sentence's central metaphor: The situation was especially grim in England where industrialism was literally swallowing the country's youth. The Panel mustered more enthusiasm for the use of literally with a dead metaphor, which functions as a set phrase and evokes no image for most people. Some 37 percent accepted He was literally out of his mind with worry. But when there is no metaphor at all, a substantial majority of the Panel was willing to allow literally to be used as an intensifier; 66 percent accepted the sentence They had literally no help from the government on the project.

Collins English Dictionary

Usage: The use of literally as an intensifier is common, esp in informal contexts.

In some cases, it provides emphasis without adding to the meaning: the house was literally only five minutes walk away.

Often, however, its use results in absurdity: the news was literally an eye-opener to me. It is therefore best avoided in formal contexts

Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary,

 usage: Since the early 20th century, literally has been widely used as an intensifier meaning “in effect, virtually”: The senator was literally buried alive in the June primaries.

This use, common in many styles of speech and writing, is often criticized for being the opposite of the original meaning of literal. In such cases, nothing is lost by omitting literally.

Merriam-Webster Dictionary

Frequently Asked Questions About literally

Can literally mean figuratively?

One of the definitions of literally that we provide is "in effect, virtually—used in an exaggerated way to emphasize a statement or description that is not literally true or possible." Some find this objectionable on the grounds that it is not the primary meaning of the word, "with the meaning of each individual word given exactly." However, this extended definition of literally is commonly used and is not quite the same meaning as figuratively ("with a meaning that is metaphorical rather than literal").

Is the extended use of literally new?

The "in effect; virtually" meaning of literally is not a new sense. It has been in regular use since the 18th century and may be found in the writings of Mark Twain, Charlotte Brontë, James Joyce, and many others.

Is the extended use of literally slang?

Among the meaning of literally is one which many people find problematic:

"in effect, virtually—used in an exaggerated way to emphasize a statement or description that is not literally true or possible." Neither this nor any of the other meanings of literally is what we would consider slang. This sense has been in standard use by many esteemed writers since the 18th century.

Dictionary.com

“Figuratively” vs. “Literally”

Although similar and often incorrectly swapped for each other, literally and figuratively have different meanings that can’t really be interchanged. So even if you feel like you literally can’t help confusing the two, this exaggeration may help explain why figuratively is actually the right word in many cases.

What does figuratively mean?

Figuratively is an adverb of the adjective figurative that means “of the nature of or involving a figure of speech.” It’s typically metaphorical and not literal, which is a key difference in common usage between figuratively and literally. Except for one little annoying part of figurative: it can also mean “represented by a figure, drawing, sculpture, or emblem,” so figuratively has a literal meaning as well. Moving on from that …

Originating in 1350–1400, this Middle English word derives from the Late Latin figūrātīvus and replaced Middle English figuratif.

It’s important to remember that a figurative description is different than a literal meaning that describes exactly what is happening in black-and-white terms. So while you may be so happy that you want to figuratively shout from the rooftop, you would only use literally if you were actually standing on the roof and screaming with joy.

What does literally mean?

Although figuratively has room for interpretation or exaggeration, literally is exact and concrete in its meaning.

The adverb is defined as “in the literal or strict sense” and “actually; without exaggeration or inaccuracy.” Whatever word or phrase the word literally modifies is being described in a literal manner; word for word. For example: Although you may not literally know everything there is to know about sports, you can probably tell us literally everything that happened during the last play.

If you’re describing what actually happened, without exaggeration or inaccuracy, then literally is the right choice. For example, I spent literally every cent I had on that gift works if you actually did empty out every penny you had to your name.

Literally was first recorded around 1525 but its usage began to change in the 19th century. Starting from this time, literally began to be used as an intensifier for effect, which contradicts its meaning of “without exaggeration.” This shift has normalized its misuse, and that’s become a major pet peeve for many who are aware of the difference.

How to use each word

Since words and phrases typically have both literal and figurative meanings, it’s easy to know when to use each of these terms, once you understand the difference between the two. You can literally open a package as soon as it arrives but you can only figuratively open your heart to love.

You can also only figuratively tell the whole world how you feel but, instead, you can literally tell every person whom you come in contact with about your feelings.

Feel like you’re so frustrated that you’re literally going to explode? Wrong! You may feel like you’re figuratively going to erupt, but it’s safe to say you won’t literally combust due to an emotion anytime soon.