Where does “literalism” come from?
Literalism derives from literal, which comes from Latin literalis meaning "of letters," from Latin littera meaning "letter of the alphabet," ultimately from Old Latin leitera through Ancient Greek díphthera meaning "leather" or "writing surface."
literalism (English): Literal interpretation or understanding;...
Definitions
- Literal interpretation or understanding;...
Ancestry of “literalism”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | literal | Exactly as stated; read or understood without... |
| 2 | Old French | literal | literal exactly as stated |
| 3 | Latin | litteralis | literary; epistolary |
| 4 | Latin | littera | a letter of the alphabet; handwriting; letter,... |
| 5 | Latin | lītera | — |
| 6 | Old Latin | leitera | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂leyH- | to smear |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | leyh₂- | to die, disapear; to avoid, elude, decline,... |