Definition:
The most obvious or non-figurative sense of a word or words; language that is not perceived as metaphorical or ironic. Contrast with figurative language. Noun: literalness. See also: Literally and Figuratively.
Etymology:
From the Latin, "letter"Examples and Observations:
- "Dictionary definitions are written in literal terms. For example, 'It is time to feed the cats and dogs.' This phrase 'cats and dogs' is used in a literal sense, for the animals are hungry and it is time to eat. . . .
"Figurative language paints word pictures and allows us to 'see' a point. For example: 'It is raining cats and dogs!' Cats and dogs do not really fall from the sky like rain . . .. This expression is an idiom."
(Passing the Maryland High School Assessment in English, 2006) - "The sea, the great unifier, is man's only hope. Now, as never before, the old phrase has a literal meaning: we are all in the same boat."
(Jacques Cousteau) - "I once saw a forklift lift a crate of forks. And it was way too literal for me."
(Mitch Hedberg) - How do we process metaphorical utterances? The standard theory is that we process non-literal language in three stages . . .. First, we derive the literal meaning of what we hear. Second, we test the literal meaning against the context to see if it is consistent with it. Third, if the literal meaning does not make sense with the context, we seek an alternative, metaphorical meaning.
"One prediction of this three-stage model is that people should ignore the non-literal meanings of statements whenever the literal meaning makes sense, because they never need to proceed to the third stage. There is some evidence that people are unable to ignore non-literal meanings. . . . That is, the metaphoric meaning seems to be processed at the same time as the literal meaning."
(Trevor Harley, The Psychology of Language, Taylor & Francis, 2001)
Pronunciation: LIT-er-el
