A Dictionary of Cont..

literate 280
word’s being used simply as an intensive, with
no regard whatever to any meaning of literally,
as in such a sentence as He was literally dumbfounded
by the report where no literal meaning
can be attached to dumbfounded. The word has
become a particular favorite of those who seek
to express intense feelings in metaphor, with the
paradoxical result that in a great deal of loose,
hyperbolic talk literally is used to mean the exact
opposite of what it properly means. When,
for example, on a hot day someone says I’m literally
melting, he means I am figuratively
melting and the meaning of figuratively here is
“not literally.” A fish, partly submerged in a
chowder, might be said to be literally stewed to
the gills, but an inebriated man is at best (or
worst) only metaphorically stewed to the gills.
When we say that we are literally fed up with
someone, we are either making a confession of
cannibalism and gluttony or using literally to
mean not literally. The word should be avoided
except in its stricter meanings.
literate; literal. Literate means able to read and
write, hence educated (Only through free general
education can a literate population be created).
By extension, it has come to suggest
literary (T. S. Eliot is a highly literate man).
Literal, as applied to persons, means tending to
construe words in their strict sense, unimaginative,
matter-of-fact (He’s very literal; if you tell
him you are dying with the heat, he’ll call an
undertaker). In its general sense, literal means
following the letter, or exact words, of the original
(Bold as Fitzgerald was, he feared to offend
his contemporaries by a literal translation of the
entire poem).
literature. For centuries literature has meant writings
in which expression and form, in connection
with ideas of permanent and universal
interest, are characteristic or essential features
(The reading of literature still remains the best
form of education). Literatztre can also mean
the entire body of literary writings of a specific
language, period, people, or subject (the literature
of England, the literature of the Renaissance,
American literature). In the sciences,
where expression and form are not regarded as
supremely important, literature is often used to
mean the entire body of writing relevant to any
given subject (Have you made a thorough search
of the literature? I am sure there is an article
on that very subject somewhere) and although
this usage is annoying to professors of belles
lettres it is probably here to stay.
The use of literature to describe any printed
matter on any subject (Please send me descriptive
literature concerning your garbage disposal
unit. He spent more on campaign literature
than his opponent did on the whole campaign)
is usually classed as a misuse. But who is to de-
cide? _.--. The authors of advertising folders and
campaign biographies may feel that their works
have expression and form and are concerned
with matters of universal and permanent interest
and hence, under the dictionary, entitled to be
called literature. If enough of them think so and
can persuade enough other people to say so, this
meaning may become standard. At the moment
it is not.
literatus. The plural is Ziterati.
litotes is a figure in rhetoric in which an affirmative
is expressed in the negative of its contrary.
When St. Paul said that he was a citizen of no
mean city he meant that he was “a citizen of a
great city” and when he said to the Corinthians
Z praise you not, he meant “I blame you.” Similarly
not a few means “many” and not bad means
“good.” Litotes is a form of meiosis or understatement.
little. The comparative forms are less, lesser, littler.
The superlative forms are least, littlest.
When little means small in size it is always an
adjective and may be used with a singular or a
plural noun, as in a little child and little children.
The forms iess, lesser, and least cannot be used
with this meaning of little. We cannot say the
least child. It is claimed that in this sense little
is itself a comparative, as in the Little Dipper,
and a superlative, as in the little toe. But this is
very unsatisfactory. During the last century a
number of writers have used the forms littler
and littlest. Littlest, as in the littlest child, the
littlest fish, is better established than littler, but
both can be used when they are needed. And
they are sometimes needed. Small is a thin, intellectual
word and means only what it says.
Little carries an emotional tone and means that
the small size is attractive.
Little may mean small in importance, as in
little people, a little fault. In this sense too it is
always an adjective and may qualify either a
singular or a plural noun.
When little means small in amount, it may be
an adjective, an adverb, or a noun. The adjective
is essentially negative and means not large in
amount or not much, as in they gave us little
trouble.
The noun little has the same negative meaning
when used without a qualifier, as in little we
see in Nature that is ours. But when it is qualified
by a definitive adjective, such as a, the, my,
the noun is affirmative and means a small amount
or some, as in a little goes a long way. The form
a little can be used to mean a little of and so
function as if it were an adjective with the affirmative
meaning, as in they gave us a little
trouble. When a little is made negative, as in not
a little, it means a good deal, as in they gave
ZIS not a little trouble. In general, of is not used
after little except when it precedes a definitive
adjective, as in little of the work had been done.
Formerly, little was used with of in other constructions,
as in little of work had been done,
but this is now considered affected.
The adverb Little also has the negative sense
of not much, as in the world will little note. Like
never and other negative adverbs, its proper position
is before the principal verb form. The
noun forms, a little and not a little, may also
be used as adverbs and keep their affirmative
meanings, as in comrades, leave me here a little
and we have been worried not a little.