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by krapp 6 days ago
That isn't misuse, it's how language works. "literally" has been used to mean "figuratively" since at least the 1700s. Insistence to the contrary is a modern prescriptivist meme.

https://blogs.illinois.edu/view/25/96439

1 comments

institutional misuse is still misuse

it only matters if you want to take the world 'literally' literally

No it isn't. Again, this is just how language works, the meaning of a word is what people decide it is. And if people have been using a word a certain way for several centuries, then that's how it's used. End of story.
This is really very fascinating. I had no idea the public school system had failed so badly. Vocabulary must have been dropped to make room for more social training. You're doing great, though. A shining example!
And its a lovely story. Who told it to you?
Who told what to me?

If you're trying to claim that subjectivity doesn't exist in linguistics I suggest you pick up a book or talk to an actual human. Consult a dictionary. I don't know how to fix whatever you have.