Meaning

adverb in a literal sense

adverb (intensifier before a figurative expression) without exaggeration

originEtymology tree Late Latin littera Proto-Indo-European *h₂el-der.? Proto-Italic *-ālis Late Latin -ālis Late Latin litterālisbor. Old French literalbor. Middle English literal Proto-Indo-European *leyg-der. Proto-Germanic *līkąder. Proto-Germanic *-līkaz Proto-Germanic *-ê Proto-Germanic *-līkê Proto-West Germanic *-līkē Old English -līċe Middle English -ly Middle English litteraly English…

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0