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.
It would be subject to the same fate.
Reminds me of biohazard symbols, they need to be recognisable but only used for their intended purpose.
https://99percentinvisible.org/article/biohazard-symbol-designed-to-be-memorable-but-meaningless/
I literally only use “literally” when I literally mean “literally”.
Thank you
Bless you
Godspeed
All we can do is use the word correctly, and maybe, if you feel like it, correct other’s use of it.
We’ve nearly lost “envy”, and hundreds of other words due to people using words incorrectly. But, as we all know, language is as alive as the people who use it, and it changes right along with us.
A more interesting story, to me, is the discovery that we’re all talking less and less:
Psychologists discovered that, since 2005, the average person has spoken less each year than the year before, by approximately 338 fewer words per day.
correct other’s use of it.
In practical terms, that just pisses off your friends :(
Guess they’d better start using the word correctly
Would you rather be right or have friends? That’s the tradeoff I’ve seen
I’d rather have friends that aren’t stupid, barring that I’d be happy to accept friends who are maybe not the smartest but are willing to make small efforts to accomodate their friends even when they don’t necessarily understand the logic behind the request. Quality over quantity.
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
“No cap fr fr”
I’m fine with descriptivism on theory, but it sure seems wrong in the cases where the word changes meaning due to people misunderstanding/misusing the word. That’s not a a word gaining a new meaning, it’s losing meaning.
The other one I need a replacement for is “begs the question” since so many people have misused that one too.
Words that mean “in fact” have been turning into “for emphasis” for literally a really very long time.
Edit: really means “in reality”, and very means “in truth”.
I Absolutely agree. It’s Totally absurd, we Really need a new word.
I propose “dictionarily”.
I’m against a new word, but I like this word
“without exaggeration”
Without exaggeration, I ceased breathing and my heart stopped upon reading this commentary
Sometimes the best way to show something as real is to say it plainly.
“They literally flew to Boston”
“They seriously flew to Boston”
“They actually flew to Boston”
Vs
“They flew to Boston”
“Verbatim” often works…
The word is “acshully”
it’s widely accepted that the word “literally” can be used to add emphasis
You found the root cause.
The solution is vicious heckling of idiots who misuse it - treat them like a middle-school drop-out - until they fix their behavior. Do the same for people who pluralize mass nouns as well: trainings, supports (not used like struts), emails.
I tried that with “irony”. People don’t give a fuck, they just want to randomly use words to seem smart.
Make them feel dumb when you catch them at it
People who don’t feel very dumb and just use random words aren’t shamed by telling them they are dumb for using random words.
They just come back at you with the old speech “did you know language evolves 🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔”
Linguistic drift happens over generations, that’s just illiteracy, and if they’re too stupid to feel shame they definitely don’t know anything about that anyway
Are you enjoying this conversation with yourself LOL
Lol just fyi you’re not me, if I were having a conversation with myself it wouldn’t be half as stupid as this
Yes, that’s why it bothers me that word “literally” is used for emphasis. I don’t care how long it’s been used that way, it robs the word of utility. The whole point of the word was to clarify that you mean literally when your words might otherwise be interpreted as figurative. Shit like this is why I’m unsure if people around me understand that I’m not exaggerating about the Untied States becoming a legitimate dictatorship committing holocaust level atrocities. I don’t know how to communicate when I mean something literally and be sure people understand that I mean it literally and am not exaggerating
“Seriously” THE WORD. It’s not hard. There isn’t a “need” so much as a discipline and normal fucking intelligence.
That literally makes no sense.
