>>9 I used to be like you. I used to get all hot and bothered whenever somebody would use "literally" when they meant "figuratively." Now I no longer care. Language evolves over time and words change depending on their usage by masses of people. There's no point complaining about it.
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Anonymous2014-11-24 2:13
ayo language be evolvin' n white kidz be lik lol man dis nigga cant speak for shit but lemme tell u dat aint true, language be evolvin' yo
>>11 Somebody didn't take their logic 101 class, stupid nigger.
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fart man2014-11-24 16:51
>>13 Logic has nothing to do with the evolution of language.
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Imouto2014-11-24 18:11
Salutis, Ploungers.
You may find unsettling the absent space in place whence once was rested Pudding Cup.
Woe, the culprit whom you seek: 'Twas I, gluttonous Imouto-san. Fattened of thy Pudding Cup.
Father, mother, unto adamant shelter to this deed.
Despair, it cannot be helped; Nay, will not be helped.
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Anonymous2014-11-24 19:18
>>11 I like to mess with people when they say stupid shit. The best was when this girl said she was ``literally pumped up'' and I made a comment about her wearing a wonder bra.
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Anonymous2014-11-24 19:50
>>16 If you deem an entire sentence as "stupid shit" just because a mere adverb is being used incorrectly, then the only cretin here is you.
Nobody has pointed out that "literally" literally meant "pertaining to letters" originally! The same root gave us the word literary!
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Anonymous2014-11-24 22:22
>>21 Well, I know literal & letter both ultimately come from the same Latin word, littera/litera, but I didn't know literally originally had that definition. Please provide me with some evidence.
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Anonymous2014-11-24 22:56
>>22 It's just literal with an English -ly adverbial suffix slapped on. There's not much to prove. Ultimately, "literal" comes from the Latin "litteralis", with the definition "literary" or "epistolary." Litteralis itself comes from littera, "letter".
The point is that the usage of the word "literal" outside the context of letters is an extension of its original meaning, and is therefore a figurative usage itself.
But of course, I'm not one to suggest that etymology dictates meaning. Otherwise "manufactured" would exclusively mean an item that was made by hand. But of course, it's an interesting point to add to discussion.
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Anonymous2014-11-25 0:28
>>23 When you said literally originally pertained to letters, I thought you were referring to the letters of the alphabet. I was baffled there for a bit.
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Anonymous2014-11-25 0:52
>>24 It technically does that as well. Just like in English, littera refers to an alphabetic letter or the written communication method. It's an example of synecdoche, if you want the technical name for it (a whole is referred to by the part, or vice versa.) Since epistulae (the proper name for the written letter) were written with litterae, people called them letters. It's like calling a car "wheels" or saying "I'm drinking a cup" when referring to coffee. Also, littera was a more common word choice in poetry than epistula, because of metric considerations.
>>14 Low iq nigger. I'm concerned with progress not pointless inferior change such as your evolution. you fags suck at programming anyways, stupid nigger undergrads. suck my aryan non-animal dick
walmart worshippers
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feeding the troll2014-11-25 1:46
>>26 The general process of language evolution is that complex languages become less complex over time. Take a look at Latin's ridiculous grammar and compare it with Spanish and Italian. Compare Old English (the language of Beowulf, not Shakespeare) to Modern English. Nearly all processes involved in language evolution are "inferior" by their very definition, but that doesn't mean progress isn't being made. Just because English lacks the case system that it had a thousand years ago doesn't mean it can't express concepts without them. English has adapted remarkably well to its simplified grammar. It's becoming simpler everyday, and that is *not* because people are becoming more stupid.
da fuck is dis shit nigga wer all da wite wimmin at dayum its getin all hot up in ere
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fart man2014-11-25 2:21
>>28 Interesting examples you got there. "Man" originally referred to "human" in Old English. The words for male humans were "wer" (preserved in "werewolf", similar to Latin "vir") and "guma" (preserved in "groom", similar to Latin "homo".) Both words fell out of use and were replaced with "human" from French. The word for a female human was "wif" (preserved in "wife") or "cwen" (preserved in "queen", similar to Greek "gyne".) Wifman became the analogical female equivalent to "human" (which referred to men), and over the years, became "woman."
Male comes from the French "mâle", from Latin "masculus", a derivative of "mas" (the former meaning "little male", the latter meaning simply "male.") Female comes from the Latin "femella", a derivative of "femina". Interesting etymology note: the roots in "femina", "fetus", and "filius" all are related to the verb "fello" (to suck.) Female and male actually have nothing in common, but the English spell them similarly because they assumed there was a relationship between the two words.
Why do I waste my time by feeding trolls? I, like redcream, too oft admit my rolls.
>>32 I'll admit to looking up the etymologies for "male" and "female". But all other etymologies were known previously. Interesting word choice, by the way. I predicted "pretentious asshole", but not "dilettante." At any rate, classics is my minor, so I'm not sure it technically applies to me.
I want to be a music teacher and composer. I study classics just because it's fun. But I wouldn't mind teaching Latin or Old English, my two most proficient classical languages. My Greek is rusty though.